Badvertising: Megabus

I'm gonna try and ease into this Badvertising feature. My first ad comes from the side of a bus. Not a typical bus side billboard, but from a long distance bus company, Megabus. Megabus is one of many bus companies which offer services between the major cities of the Northeast corridor, especially between New York and D.C. This has become a booming industry in recent years and for good reason: the low fares, around $20 one way, are a steal compared to the Amtrak rates which start at $65 per direction and usually are over $100. You don't have to be an Econ major to figure this one out. And since I am an Econ major it made things even simpler.

On the side of the actual Megabus is a painted ad for the company, which reads:

D.C. to New York From $1*

*plus .50 rate booking fee"

I think this is actually a pretty good ad: short, effective, gets the point across. What kills it, however, is that bit of scrupulous honesty at the end. I appreciate the attempt at putting it all out there for the customer, but its unnecessary and distracting. The fact is that many people, including yours truly, hate fine print and legalese. By deliberately inserting it, Megabus is throwing cold water on the fantasy of a $1 bus fare, which is the basic crux of the add.

Most people are also smart enough to figure out that the $1 fare advertised is probably not really going to come true for them, and even if it does they'll be so happy they won't give a damn about a lousy $.50 processing fee. Plus the fact that the ad says "From $1" is a clear indication that you're likely actually going to pay more than advertised, further making the $.50 thing redundant. Internet consumers are largely desensitized to such fees. Sure they suck, but its just how things are are by the time they come up you've usually already made your purchase and don't care anymore.

My recommendation: can the fine print. It doesn't improve your ad, and it certainly could hurt it. Besides that, keep up the good work, and I must say that your corporate mascot is a fine looking fellow.