Guerrilla Marketing

There is barely a single surface on the Underground that is not smothered in advertising. From the giant posters looking at you from across the track in the deep Tube stations to the little cardboard rectangles above your seat via the ripped off promotional front cover of this evening's Standard, nowhere on the system is safe from people trying to sell us stuff. And why not? After all, over half the world's population travels on the Tube every year. (Of course, that's nonsense. First of all, it's not individuals, it's journeys. Secondly, it's not just the Tube, it's all TfL modes of transport. But hey, it made a good headline)

It's not just advertising for products that makes it to these hallowed advertising spots though you know. Sometimes people are trying to change our opinions rather than change our spending habits. Nor is it just paid for ads that end up in your eye line. Oh no.

It started with the odd sticker, aping London Underground's style of notice with messages such as "No talking during rush hour". Now though, someone has gone to a new level. Two drivers told me on Tuesday that they had seen some above-seat advertising that, at first, they had just walked past. Then they noticed swear words, and realised that something was not as it seemed!

It turns out that some trains on our line have had the above-seat advertising changed to a leftie rant about the Coalition government. This was no half-arsed effort either, entire cars have had all their advertising slots changed to this message! I love the fact that someone has gone to the effort of measuring the adverts and making their own version, then changing them when no-one's looking.

When do they do it? At the dead of night? Or, is it one of our drivers? They don't have much time in sidings all alone, but occasionally they have just enough to change a whole car. I haven't seen this yet, though I haven't been looking that hard yet. If anyone sees one of these ranty adverts, take a picture and let me know!