It’s that time of year again: Upfront season. I actually watched an MTA employee put this poster for Oxygen’s Generation O up. Subway ads touting the buying power of their viewers has become a tradition for Oxygen (click here for Oxygen’s 2009 ad and here for 2008). Their goal and tagline remains the same: to plug their “Trender, Spender, Recommender” viewers as non-stop buying machines. What recession? What 9.7% unemployment rate? These ladies have credit cards and they’re not afraid of interest rates.

There’s a few differences in the 2010 Generation O ad worth noting:

1. Apparently, the fresh-faced not a girl/not yet a woman seen here is an actual Oxygen viewer. I assume the vapid, plastic expression is a necessity in the upfront ad genre.

2. No diversity. Previous ads have featured women of color because, you know, debt Generation O doesn’t discriminate. I wonder why they decided to focus on one caucasian female. Hmm.

3. Ms. Angie from Dallas isn’t shopping. In previous ads, the Generation O ladies were shopping or appeared on their way to shop. Is Generation O beginning to show some restraint or did she max out her Saks card already?

Rob Walker covers these sort of ads that commodify people in his “Product is You” series. By the way, this photo was taken at the 67 Avenue station in Forest Hills, Queens, which is a residential neighborhood and nowhere near an ad agency. Why do you think Oxygen has repeatedly plastered, what is essentially a trade ad, all over the subway? Sure these ads are meant for media planners and buyers, but who are they really marketing to?