The Hindu : New Delhi News : A journey sprinkled with entertainment

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Saturday, Mar 15, 2008
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A journey sprinkled with entertainment

Staff Reporter

Metro passengers will be able to watch ads in the form of motion picture

Started on a pilot basis between Chandni Chowk and Kashmere Gate
Advertisers to display their spots inside the tunnels used by DMRC

NEW DELHI: For the Delhi Metro railway passengers it will be a journey sprinkled with entertainment. For the advertisers it will be an exclusive 15 seconds of prime time to sell their products.

And for the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation more revenue.

The concept of in-tunnel advertising that is being introduced in the city for the first time has something on offer for everyone.

Started on a pilot basis between Chandni Chowk and Kashmere Gate, the concept -- introduced in the country by C2E Technology Labs -- allows advertisers to display their spots inside the tunnels that are being used by DMRC. Metro riders will be able to watch the commercial in the form of a motion picture on the wall-mounted special screens through the window as the train slithers through the underground tunnel.

Early bird

Seizing the opportunity to grab eyeballs, Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance is the first company to advertise inside the tunnels.

The technology consists of two sets of processes. First is the specially designed display box that house the image frame by frame placed next to each other and the second consists of changing images in a manner that images viewed by a moving audience will not appear blurred.

To begin with, 170 boxes have been installed inside the tunnel walls spread over a 200-metre distance. The revenue generated from the project will be shared between the company and DMRC.

“Initially the system model is on a revenue sharing basis between DMRC and C2E for a period of six months. However, in future underground sections, DMRC would be open to bids from other agencies -- national or international -- based on competitive bids to ensure that DMRC is able to maximise revenue potential. In Phase I, DMRC already has an underground tunnel of 12 km that could be used for in-tunnel advertising and another 30 km of underground tunnel would be added in Phase II, thus making this a very strong advertising medium in future as passengers can view ads while sitting or travelling in the underground metro,” says DMRC spokesman Anuj Dayal.

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