Metrolinx's 'sanctimonious' ad campaign defending construction cost $2.25M
CBC
It cost Metrolinx $2.25 million to produce an ad campaign telling passengers to "see beyond the construction," documents reveal.
The ads, which people reported seeing last fall and which the Ontario transit agency says stopped airing in January, were heavily criticized online — even spawning popular parodies.
In one of the advertisements, one woman tells another: "This Metrolinx construction is killing me." The other woman then says, "I know, right?" The woman proceeds to list all the reasons construction is necessary, like better transit and fewer cars.
On a Reddit thread, users called the ads "snarky," "sanctimonious," "obnoxious," "pointless," "shocking" and "awful," among other descriptors.
The transit agency said the $2.25 million includes production of the ads across nine languages, as well as distribution and agency fees.
Jennifer French, the Ontario NDP transportation critic, said the ads diminished legitimate concerns people had been raising about Metrolinx construction, which has sprung up across the city and in some cases faced years-long delays.
"That is $2.25 million more than should have been spent to condescend the public," French said.
"I imagine that Metrolinx, if they had tried, could have found a better way to spend that money."
In a statement, Metrolinx said it made the ads to "generate debate and discussion" around the construction while demonstrating the long-term benefits of transit. The agency said it has the "utmost respect" for communities impacted by construction.
CBC Toronto asked Metrolinx for the cost of the campaign in January but the agency refused to share it. The number was revealed through a freedom of information request.
In the second ad, which featured high school aged boys, one said new transit could take them to the movies, hockey or a friend's basement.
French says Torontonians have not been waiting years to use transit so they can hang out with friends.
"People don't use transit as a luxury. Most of the time they use transit because they depend on it," she said. "People cannot make and keep doctor's appointments because they can't depend on transit, they can't get to work or to school."'
The timing of the ads was a bit unusual, said David Soberman, a professor of marketing at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management.