While the problem is definitely less nowadays, the difficult to reach places where graffiti appears around German stations sometimes makes you appreciate how much motivation and effort the artists(?) must have.
Then here's something a little sadder: this guys are more or less considered heroes. I've never seen the video, but I've heard the story from a tourist guide, who made it clear that this was an awesome stunt that should be admired.
Then again, keep in mind that Berlin has a rather complicated story with Graffiti (the city owes a lot to its starving artists), so the Western point of view is not the only one to keep in consideration.
this one's better http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMuEagQbk9k
Deutsche Bahn, and I wouldn't be surprised if a huge majority of their customers agrees with them, thinks trains should look in the way they've painted the trains to look.
We're not talking painting the Guggenheim or the Parthenon here. Have you even seen the kind of buildings that get painted?
Clean wall: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sIjqDD2mNLA/TUaraGIrWsI/AAAAAAAACi...
Graffiti: http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5509/979/1600/graffiti_po...
http://cdn4.vtourist.com/4/4851534-Graffiti_Building_Amsterd...
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_NC_JoI7fecY/S4EFOrE4ISI/AAAAAAAABY...
http://ih1.redbubble.net/image.11426410.1185/flat,550x550,07...
Why not go further and put up the train carriage specs/dimensions in an easy to use template online, so you can lay out your design in advance to take account of the windows.
Going any further like sponsoring chosen designs might backfire because then it all gets viewed as too commercial, and we'll get people defacing the corporate graffiti.
such stuff has been available in graffiti shops for decades :) but a little hint: nobody cares about windows :)
> Going any further like sponsoring chosen designs might backfire because then it all gets viewed as too commercial, and we'll get people defacing the corporate graffiti.
yes. google for 'adisux', an Adidas' Warsaw fiasco when they covered part of the horse racing track wall (longest graffiti gallery in Europe) for an ad and got trashed to the point the scandal got to tv, their pr firm got into panic mode for a week and in general, how to say it, their marketing campaign didn't work out.
or leave it alone and it will cost you close to zero and still look better. wholecars ara PITA for travellers so windows need to get cleaned, but I thought that vandal squad hysteria after the 90s graffiti boom has ended. I guess somebody needs to pump up their budget requirements.