Delhi's MCD, DTC court corporate advertisers

The Capital, it seems, are heading for a colourful winter. Here's why.

Outdoor advertising, which suffered a setback when the Supreme Court banned hoardings in Delhi in 1997, is set to make a comeback. And, that's not all. DTC buses, run by the Delhi Transport Corporation, are going to change their ubiquitous green and yellow colours for the first time, and don the advertisers' choice of colours.

First, the Delhi billboard story. MCD's (Municipal Corporation of Delhi) Urban Graphics Forum is re-introducing billboards to the city's skyline ostensibly to "improve the aesthetics of the Capital." The Forum was created by MCD in early 2003 to look into advertising, urban design, street furniture and aesthetics.

The Forum's chairman Iftekar Chisti has been recently quoted as saying that while the court order has stopped all legal advertising in the city, illegal hoardings continue to exist. However, since advertising cannot be wished away, the Forum has prepared a plan to ensure that advertising is done in a controlled and aesthetic manner, he added.

According to the new plan, advertising, henceforth, will have to be linked with the provision of a civic amenity since the MCD plans to upgrade existing amenities such as public conveniences and kiosks through advertising.

MCD apparently is serious about creating 'advertising adjuncts' across New Delhi. The adjuncts, according to the plan, will be in the form of haats or entertainment areas, which will, in turn, display "aesthetic" advertisements. The haats will have entertainment kiosks and eateries and will be developed as an ideal weekend hangout for families, Chisti has reportedly said.

There may be two to three such adjuncts in each MCD zone, which will do away with random, ugly and illegal advertising on Delhi's roads.

MCD, incidentally, has also worked out a ratio for advertising. The prescribed ratio for the adjuncts contains 70 per cent space for advertisements, 20 per cent as social messages and 10 per cent as general information about the city and the adjunct itself. The Forum will also take up taxi stands, cycle-rickshaw stands, and florists for similar projects.

MCD is looking at three other projects as 'stepping-stones', before taking the big plunge. The first plan is to introduce balloon advertising; then comes back-lit subway advertising; while the third plan involves introduction of escalators on overhead bridges, which is to be supported by advertising.

DTC buses, on the other hand, are okay to change their colours, if the price is right. Indian Oil Corporation, the first corporate advertiser on its list, is expected to shell out a sizable Rs 25 crore for changing the colour of 3,300 buses. The offer includes DTC providing advertising space for corporates.

While the deal is not yet formal, the offer involves the corporate advertiser getting advertising rights for the display panels, side panels and the space between the ceiling and windows of the buses.

© 2004 agencyfaqs!