• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, September 30, 2008

History (the cable channel previously known as the History Channel) is making history with the first full exterior and interior wrap of a New York City subway to promote the upcoming third season of its show, "Cities of the Underworld," hosted by Don Wildman. The temporary vinyl wrap of the 42nd Street Shuttle #3 Line will be unveiled at Grand Central Station Thursday morning.

The wrap was executed by CBS Outdoor and Horizon Media, who partnered with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and New York City Transit for the unusual and highly visible out-of-home advertising campaign. Although the actual creative content will remain "under wraps" until Thursday, it's a safe bet that it will play on the shuttle's subterranean visual context to draw attention to the show, which features Wildman exploring the ancient sewers and labyrinthine tunnels hidden under many major cities. The third season debuts on Sunday, October 26.

Previously, CBS Outdoor has wrapped entire New York City subway cars, but never the whole train. One such wrap, for Westin Hotels, converted the interior of the cars into a Westin suite, highlighting the comforts offered by the chain. The wraps can be coordinated with out-of-home elements in subway stations, including wraps of the furniture on platforms and temporary signage that can include electronic displays wrapped around columns.

Vehicle wraps in general are an increasingly popular platform for out-of-home advertising. In Southern California, outdoor media firm Media N Motion wraps tanker trucks plying specified routes along the LA freeways. The fleet is deployed 16-20 hours a day, six to seven days a week, ensuring virtually constant visibility. Each tanker truck records its position via GPS every 15 minutes, giving advertisers data on ad exposure. The GPS data indicates not only the route followed, but heavy traffic areas where the trucks slow down--thus increasing viewing likelihood.

Outdoor companies are also wrapping personal automobiles as outdoor ad platforms, with advertisers paying $500-$800 to wrap a vehicle with their message. Last year, Los Angeles-based FreeCar Media, one of the main car advertising agencies, claimed to have a database of 1 million car owners who are open to the idea of getting paid to advertise with a car wrap.