Advertising in strange places

I'm in Boston, sightseeing, before the start of Business of Software 2008. I was on the T - Boston's subway - travelling between Harvard and South Station, when I noticed an unusual thing.

The train was going some 30 miles per hour. I looked outside and saw not dark tunnel walls but a lake and mountains, moving backwards at walking pace. After a few seconds, some text ("Find yourself") appeared and then the scene faded to reveal the punchline ("Vermont").

I was inside an underground, train-sized zoetrope. Based on the speed of the train, the frequency of the lights inside the carriage, and Victorian technology, somebody had created a short animated film.

What a great idea. A quick Google even turned up this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adwvMQvx69c

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Comments

[Daniel Marashlian]

Good googling Neil! I can't wait to see the ad myself! I'll be there Tuesday night, hopefully I can get there in time for last call with you guys!

See ya in Boston!

[Colm O'Connor]

I see these every time I take the Heathrow Express, too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5ZblRnrRRw

[Collagist]

This idea was actually first used somewhere in Europe and then used on the Red Line on Boston T. It is pretty neat. The best view of the Boston skyline is coming right out of the Kendall Square T tunnel on to the Longfellow Bridge (Salt-n-Pepper bridge as we lovingly call it in Boston). Enjoy your stay y'all.

Collagist

[Enterprise Feedback Management]

kinda crappy video but still cool to watch. a great new marketing method it seems :D
-Jake

[360 Degree Feedback]

the future of advertising! neat concept :D
-Jason

[mason]

They also have these on the BART train system in the San Francisco Bay

[Corey]

I can remember those on the Narita-Tokyo express trains way back in the early 90's. Very cool!