In today’s mX I spotted this advertisement from Metro Trains Melbourne: it forms part of their “This is me” campaign, which features the stories of fictitious Melbournians who use the train. This advert happens to feature Courtney the Barista, working hard at his cafe in the Degraves Street Subway.
The campaign also has an associated series of television commercials, such as the one below.
Can you notice something odd about the backdrop of the print advertisement? If you can’t, then Esper is on the case.
Enhance 224 to 176. Enhance, stop. Move in, stop. Pull out, track right, stop. Center in, pull back. Stop. Track 45 right. Stop. Center and stop.
Just as I suspected: that is the bogie of a disc braked Comeng electric multiple unit, the same type of train that makes up a good proportion of the Metro Trains Melbourne fleet. It’s nice to see some accurate photos used in advertisements for a change.
Wait a sec, lets take a further look…
Enhance 34 to 36. Pan right and pull back. Stop. Enhance 34 to 46. Pull back. Wait a minute, go right, stop. Enhance 57 to 19. Track 45 left. Stop. Enhance 15 to 23. Give me a hard copy right there.
Oh yes, that is a Comeng train covered in graffiti. One would think a railway operator would not glamorise graffiti of trains, especially the trains that they operate. In reality the photo already existed on the coffee shop wall used for the shot, but it still isn’t a good look.
Perhaps someone in the Metro Trains Melbourne media department need to keep their advertising agency on a tighter leash?
He is not fictious, he is real. Go see for yourself.