http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remnant_advertising

that was sold to an ad company specializing in remnant advertising at a very reduced rate, which in turn resold it to the Houston Metro Airport Direct under some sort of “We can put ads for your service up in public transit venues in the top-10 origin cities for flights to Houston, and we can do it for [very small cost] per [very large number of impressions]“

In today’s advertising market, it was probably a pretty good buy on the part of the Houston MAD.

Thanks for your inquiry into a posted ad that is currently running on our buses. Other have also inquired about the posters that promote Metro of Houston’s Airport Express. The ad came through a third party agency so I assume that we were part of some packaged deal that fit their ad strategy. I don’t know if this helps but the ad is scheduled to be removed next week.

I am investigating. Turns out BBB ad sales are handled in house.

http://bigbluebus.com/media/index.html

Once I get the scoop I’ll post it here.

The SMBBB lines 3 and Rapid 3 DO NOT serve the airport.

Instead they dump the second-class serfs who dare ride transit in greater Los Angeles at the desolate “LAX City Bus Center” from whence they have to schlep their bags over to the Long-Term Parking Lot C and hope they are sometimes allowed to board one of the few over-crowded high-floor…

(but finally getting low-floors, 15 years after they became commonplace!)

…LAWA shuttle-buses. And then THOSE buses “serve” the airport.

Can anyone think of another airport in the Western World where transit gets such a second/third-class status? Because I can’t.

(Even John Wayne and Ontario and Palm Springs have transit to the front-door/within a short walk)

I checked out the ridemetro.org web site searching for answers on their advertising campaign and couldn’t find anything.

It is a *potentially* effective marketing strategy – transit users who are able to afford plane tickets and are flying to Houston may be inclined to take the service rather than a cab. Those with car rental reservations wouldn’t be able to switch. However, I think that in-airport advertising in Houston would be the most effective.

The advertising placements would make a lot more sense on the LAX Shuttles. All of these buses are air travel related, whereas only the BBB line 3 goes to the airport. Thus, riders see ads on the way to places like UCLA and downtown. I didn’t notice an ad the last time I was on the LAX Shuttle.

I think this is probably a case of an advertising budget that is too high, or some sort of network of bus ads that provides a discount to transit operators advertising on other systems. If anyone figures this out, let me know.

Still, it’s pretty weird to advertise on a bus in Santa Monica for a service in Houston.