Wednesday, July 18, 2012

How the TTC marketed itself, vintage edition


vintage ttc ads gloucester interior
Building a subway was just the first step, without anyone to cough up a fare the TTC wouldn't have got very far with its underground transit system. Hence, ads. In the final part of our trip down TTC memory lane, and as a nice companion to today's earlier negative transit report, here's a collection of vintage promotional material for the TTC (get an etiquette lesson and see old-time adverts that ran on the TTC here).

The majority of these ran on the subway or streetcars - preaching to the converted perhaps - in the 40s, 50s and 60s. Some might be earlier, not all were dated, but I think you'll agree no matter the precise age, many of these posters make arguments for riding transit that are perfectly valid today (even if it's a little pricey and infrequent).
vintage ttc ads interior gloucesterThe ads are wide and narrow to fit the slot at the top of the subway car near the roof where the TTC still sells space today. These, however, are made of card and were not backlit like the ones the subway carries now. In the Gloucester cars, lights shone on the adverts from the front.
Take a look and decide whether you think much has changed in the case for subways.
TTC PROMOTIONAL POSTERS:
vintage ttc adverts bargain
vintage ttc adverts beats driving
vintage ttc adverts beats traffic
vintage ttc adverts no demerits
vintage ttc adverts the low cost way
vintage ttc adverts more subways
vintage ttc adverts one subway
vintage ttc adverts put people first
vintage ttc adverts safe
vintage ttc adverts space drivers
vintage ttc adverts who is happy
vintage ttc adverts it's work to drive
CNE DISPLAY POSTERS:
vintage ttc adverts 1940s streetcars CNE
vintage ttc adverts 1947 CNE
vintage ttc adverts new bloor danforth
vintage ttc adverts CNE report
vintage ttc adverts the ex
vintage ttc adverts the ex
JUBILEE OF PROGRESS:
vintage ttc adverts jubilee of progress
vintage ttc adverts jubilee of progress
Images: City of Toronto Archives

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