Blatant Logos on Subway Stations

I've talked before about the renaming of athletic stadiums after commercial firms. Now, New York City has sold naming rights to a major subway station in Brooklyn to Barclays. The price: $4,000,000, spread over twenty years. Barclays has already bought naming rights to a a new stadium in the area. The spread of logos in public spaces continues.

Public Logos

Leonard Pitts, Jr. dicusses corporate logos in public spaces in his column on April 16, 2008. His column is occasioned by the renaming of Shea Stadium to Citi Field. Stadiums used to be named after interesting people or locales. Pitts writes: "We don't do that so much anymore, name public spaces for people who have done things. Nor even for the cities in which things are done. The Miami Heat used to play in the Miami Arena. Now they play in an arena named for an airline. "

At least corporate sponsors have paid big bucks for the right to have their name displayed, unlike clothing or automobile manufacturers who ask us to pay to display their logos. I'm waiting for the day, however, when highways, trees, natural landmarks, and sidewalks will begin to sport paid advertising.