I suppose some of you may have noticed the recent commercials for CSX. This past weekent I also noticed that UP and Amtrak had some new ones. Does anybody know if any other railroads have any public advertising currently going??? (other than railroad magazines, of course)
Norfolk Southern does, mostly on cable news channels though.
Jeff
I was more curious as to why the O.P. posted two identical threads at the same time.
I particularly like the commercial for BNSF’s sponsorship of the News
Hour on PBS Newshour.
Thanks for the nice pictures, Mr. Buffet, and congratulations on your
Medal of Freedom.
And they probably generate no new business and are a waste of precious money. The public has ts mind made up. It doesn’t ike trains. Do you have any idea how many sales people could be hired to generate income with the dollars spent on tv ads?
Your opinion or what?
Obviously, the frt RR ads aren’t supposed to generate any new business.
Care to guess what they are for? Here’s some hints. What projects are CSX and NS currently undertaking? What is going on at the STB these days? What could their ads possibly have to do with any of that?
Amtrak has had a fair number of radio spots in the Chicago area pushing the Hiawatha Service to Milwaukee.
In the DC area we get advertising for plenty of stuff that the general public has little interest in, but then it is not aimed at us (well, only if we call our Congressman). It is aimed at all the decision makers downtown, and their staffs. Advertising for jet tankers, fighter planes, and even trains. CSX sells its environmental benefits to get public support for itself. If the public is backing your campaign you can get a lot more mileage out of your lobbyists than if the public has no idea what you do.
The general public doesn’t want trains hence the acronyn NIMBY.
…I disagree…Advertising in general, does span out to all of our population and helps to inform those that think railroads don’t even exist anymore, and presents a P R to help turn that around. And…Great possibility the “right” person{s} do see adds that in some cases will make a difference.
Agree. It’s about TIME our industry stepped out of the dark ages and started promoting itself once again.
These ads are good and all, but I cant remember the last time I saw an Operation Lifesaver PSA on tv. Educate the people, make them understand that their explorer is no match for my SD 40.
“+1” Years ago - like in the 1970’s - the AT&SF filmed some commercials with a black & white diagonal end-striped Geep demolishing a Ford Pinto or similar (if I’m remembering all that correctly) at a grade crossing, for use in high school "Driver’s Education’ classes. Whatever happened to those ads, and that idea ?
- Paul North.
+1 I just caught the end of a CSX ad the other day and was rather surprised bc I don’t see ANY RR ads hardly ever.
As for Oper. LS, I’m pretty sure it is a lack of funding and not a lack of desire. Oh yes, we have enough money to pay ‘sports stars, celebrities and CEO’s’ MILLIONS each year, enough so many of them can buy their street drugs and such, but health care for seniors, the poor, and our veterans, along with life safety–well, that’s not important enough for the politicians to worry about!!! The seniors, poor, etc don’t fill their pockets, so they can’t be bothered. These things are the FIRST cuts being made!!!
OK, stepping down off the soapbox now. [soapbox]