It’s been a rough month for New Yorkers.
This week, they learned they will likely be losing their wood-fired pizza ovens due to climate change concerns.
And last week, the city began bombarding their eardrums with annoying ads for Disney’s new movie “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.”
“Subway stations across the city are advertising a new Indiana Jones movie through audible announcements over intercoms, prompting grievances from riders,” Gothamist reported on June 20.
The ads came at 10-minute intervals, preceded by the iconic theme song and a man’s voice declaring, “In 10 days, a legend will face his destiny.”
WARNING: The following tweet contains language that some readers will find offensive.
@NYCTSubway this announcement scared the shit outta me but it was cool! pic.twitter.com/UTK7UH8oBB
— Sylveon | #LongLiveKavon | Shining Bright SOTY (@sylveonkpopnyct) June 20, 2023
For some, it was an unwelcome intrusion on their journey.
I just heard a short ad for the new Indiana Jones movie played over the loudspeakers at my subway stop. I realize the MTA is struggling financially, but audio commercials inserted into my commute is not a positive development — with rate increases on their way too.
— Howard Sherman (@HESherman) June 20, 2023
Oddly enough, the sound quality of the ad blaring over the loudspeakers was noticeably better than that of the messages normally conveyed over the system.
“Unlike the standard garbled announcements, the ad is crystal clear,” the Intelligencer observed.
The difference was not lost on riders.
“[That feeling when] the only crystal-clear subway announcement you’ve ever heard is a 12-second ad for the fifth Indiana Jones movie,” one user commented on Twitter.
TFW the only crystal-clear subway announcement you’ve ever heard is a 12-second ad for the fifth Indiana Jones moviehttps://t.co/kZgMf3c5Gd
— Christopher Robbins (@ChristRobbins) June 20, 2023
Local newsman Pat Kiernan launched a poll on Twitter that showed a majority of straphangers gave the campaign two thumbs down, saying they wouldn’t approve of the ads even if they came with discounted fares.
The MTA has launched some intrusive “Indiana Jones” ads, which blare over loudspeakers and take over screens that display train times. But what if these ads actually made a dent in subway fares? Would you put up with them if fares were reduced slightly? Name your minimum price.
— Pat Kiernan (@patkiernan) June 21, 2023
The subway ad may have been inspired by a scene from the upcoming film, which opens Friday. An extended trailer for the movie shows Indiana Jones galloping down a subway track with a train hot on his heels.
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Disney appears to be pulling out all the stops to reach potential moviegoers. Having reportedly lost nearly $1 billion on eight films it has released since June 2022, the studio is likely desperate for a box office win.
But many New Yorkers resented yet another assault on their senses.
Print ads are one thing; we have a choice. Audio is forced upon us, like so much of our lives in NYC: trucks in reverse, buses idling, cars with popping mufflers. It’s invasive and infringes on our quality of life. So yeah, no.
— AmC (blue check)✨ (@bklyncullie) June 22, 2023
“Print ads are one thing; we have a choice,” one Twitter user said in response to Kiernan’s poll. “Audio is forced upon us, like so much of our lives in NYC: trucks in reverse, buses idling, cars with popping mufflers.
“It’s invasive and infringes on our quality of life. So yeah, no.”
