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Advertise, by all means, but don’t ‘visually pollute’ the Bangalore metro

The advertisements ought to be tastefully done, so passengers don’t feel assaulted.

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The metro stations on Reach 1, as of now, look rather sedate. Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), however, has big plans for them. The space on the piers and pillars holding up the tracks might serve as spaces for advertisers, and BMRCL hopes that much revenue will come their way by allowing advertisements to come up within the metro.

One advertising agency source informed DNA that the tendering process for the advertisements has begun. In a month or two, tenders would be floated to pick the advertisement agencies.

BLY Chavan, spokesperson of the BMRCL said, “We are waiting for safety certification first, and will, after that, float tenders so that companies and agencies can book spaces in the metro.”

The tendering process is likely to start in July, while the BMRCL waits for the nod of the Commissioner for Railway Safety (CRS) before beginning commercial operations.

The metro is set to crisscross the city and even ply underground, so the advertisements would have a large presence in the city. Delhi and Kolkata Metro have already exploited spaces within the premises for advertisements, thus earning additional revenue without destroying the beauty of the metro.

“The plan to use spaces within the metro for advertising is a very good one. It would benefit those who use the metro too, and would serve as an added attraction,” said Srinivas R, owner and director, I4each Ads.

Harish Bijoor, CEO of Harish Bijoor Consultants and an expert on advertising, also sees the metro as an excellent marketing opportunity. However, he is particular that the advertisements be sensitive, executed with aesthetic considerations and not just commercial ones. “There should be no ‘visual pollution’ because of the advertisements,” he says.

“The metro could soon prove the city’s lifeline, and it will attract many eyeballs. This would be an excellent opportunity for those seeking to reach out to city audiences to advertise their wares. However, it is necessary that the advertising is done tastefully. It should be sober, sedate. We cannot have messages that scream, that attempt to yell from the rooftop. Passengers might find that offensive. In a city where so many trees have been cut for the sake of hoardings, there is little sensitivity to aesthetics. How could the beauty — even if not the utility — of a tree be replaced by an advertisement?” the management consultant queries.

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