The faces of Martin Luther King Jr., Bob Dylan, Richard Nixon, Robert F. Kennedy, Arlo Guthrie, and Goldie Hawn¡ªpersonalities closely identified with the late 1960s, specifically 1968¡ªare now adorning one of Amtrak's Acela Express trainsets.
The special graphics, a vinyl wrap, are an advertisement for The History Channel's upcoming "1968 with Tom Brokaw,"a two-hour special scheduled to air Dec. 9. This is the first time an entire Amtrak train has been wrapped and the first time the technique has been used at all on the Acela Express. Amtrak did not say to how much the History Channel was paying for the wrap.
The wrapped trainset began operating on the Northeast Corridor today and will be running through Dec. 9. The wrap is visible from the outside but won't obstruct the view from inside the train. Posters advertising Brokaw's special have been placed inside the train.
Steve Feder, president of Corporate Image Media, an Amtrak advertising consultant, told the Associated Press that Amtrak "has proceeded somewhat cautiously when it comes to train wraps because it won't accept just any advertiser. The History Channel is something that would appeal to the business traveler that the Acela service is aimed at."
As far as the impression the wrapped train may leave with Amtrak's supporters (and detractors) on Capitol Hill, spokesman Cliff Black said that The History Channel "has a stellar reputation for its programming. We think this is a good fit, politically and commercially."He said that Congress should approve of the arrangement because it has encouraged Amtrak to be creative about generating revenue. |
