I am an advertising person: I consider myself a student of standing around and looking at ads on the metro. For me, it's especially exciting here in Paris because the ads can change overnight. Sometimes, a big campaign will launch without any notice, and a seemingly boring morning commute turns into a parade of images for me.
A few days ago, an ad went up for the Flemish tour board. The subject (Flanders? Snore) isn't very interesting. The ads, though, are photo-montages with beautiful women and jewel tones. I absolutely love them.
Yesterday, an Orangina campaign launched. The posters? Are hideous. The tagline is something about Natural flavors or taste, so naturally they feature animals and plants with lascivious grins, sitting on melting blocks of ice. Sipping Orangina. (This is a screencap from the website)
When I first got to Paris, there were some great ads for the transportation lines of Ile de France. They showed people living with their cars, who were angry at them for the neglect.
The way the ads are displayed are very interesting, as well. For the most part, they are billboard-sized and fitted into curving frames lining the walls behind the tracks. Commuters waiting for trains to arrive are nearly forced to look at the ads because of their size, proximity, and color.
Last month, there was an ad for EDF with a new feature called "Blue Sky." Their ads were presented in stages. The first day had ads with people going about their daily lives, with a patch of bright blue sky integrated somehow. There was no text. The next day, there was something written about finding your "blue sky." There were also people at some of the metro stations handing out brochures in the shape of the blue sky with more information about the company. The last day, the full ad with complete text was released. I was in love.
I also love how taking the metro keeps me up-to-date with events in Paris. Thanks to riding the metro, I found out about the 30 euro discounted Disney ticket. I also hear about museum openings, concerts, festivals or fairs (like the Salon du Chocolat), and new CDs coming out.
It's extremely interesting to see how the ads get put up. A man shows up with his overalls and a big squeegee sort of tool. He quickly and efficiently wipes down the back of the big poster with something (water? glue?), and then uses his tools to push the poster up, spread it out in sections, and fix it to the frame.
So, despite the shit I've had to put up with (strikes, smells, SDFs, beggars, commuting time, lack of comfort and space), I truly don't mind the metro. I'm still going to pretend like I hate it, though-- it's more Parisian.
*Obviously, if I could afford to take a cab to school every day, I would. If I had the stomach (as well as the money) to ride a scooter, I would do that, too. So I guess it's good I don't mind the metro.
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