Paris Subway a Battleground in War on Ads

Paris Subway a Battleground in War on Ads

By JOHN LEICESTER Associated Press Writer

PARIS (AP) - Suzanne, grandmotherly with neat snowy hair, prim gray anorak and white shirt fastened at the collar with a blue brooch, glanced furtively up and down the subway platform bustling with out-on-the-towners.

Slowly, the station emptied; the coast was clear. Spinning on her heels, a mischievous glint in her soft blue eyes, she whipped a red wax crayon from her handbag and, wielding it sword-like, scrawled her fury across a billboard advertising home appliances.
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The RATP, which transports millions of Parisians each day, is not happy to find itself on the front line. It believes Paris' public is on its side, citing a survey it commissioned last month in which 73 percent of 800 people questioned said advertisements make their public transport journeys "more agreeable and less monotonous" and 75 percent said they disapproved of the anti-ad militants.
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But in a small victory for the campaigners, the RATP on Monday and for the next 10 days was to free up space on 47 billboards in 24 stations for people to write what they like. The firm's apparent hope is to channel anti-advertising anger, sparing paid-for billboards.
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http://news.findlaw.com/ap_stories/i/1103/3-8-2004/20040308110013_13.html

Comment: I know these threads are contentious here at DU, but I think the RATP's idea for 'comment boards' is a valuable idea. My university (the University of Arizona) did a similar thing after September 11, 2001- a wall around a construction site on campus was used in a similar manner. I think boards like this, changed regularly, might give a voice to those who feel that money and political power have given a small group of people the ability to limit the spread of certain messages to the public. Any thoughts?

Note: I don't know if this is LBN- it was posted today- so if it needs to be moved to GD I understand.

always wear a condoim.

and beat you to death with a stuffed platypus.

*GROAN*

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what I saw in a bar, only ONCE have I ever seen this.

AND that had a BLACKBOARD above the men's urinals !!

lots of chalk for the guys to share their "wisdom" with the world,

eraser brushes for those offended, or just to make room to share their OWN wisdom

and nope, there wasn't any graffiti in the stalls or elsewhere

So I think it's an OK idea !

and it was exactly what I thought of reading the original post!

And it was on the left, so people weren't encouraged to try to write while doing their business ...

But, if ALL we hear is corporate-speak, our minds go numb.

It is so refreshing to hear real people rather than corporations all the time.

So I think it's great to have some boards designated as "comment boards" for people to write on.

It would be nice to hear a message from a human being once in a while on the train - rather than just from faceless corporations.