Would I have eaten there if I knew that this was how the place was maintained?

Mr. Sub logo
(Source: http://www.mrsub.ca)

Graffiti in the washroom, Mr. Sub, College and Spadina, Toronto, Ontario

1:00 pm on New Year's Eve. My daughter was hungry. (We'd just had a tour of the fabulous Osborne Collection of children's books.)

On our way to the Spadina streetcar we passed a Mr. Sub and my daughter decided she wanted a sub. (She incorrectly identified the place as a Subway. How's that for owning the category?)

After our lunch we used the washroom/bathroom/toilet. I was astounded that the interior was covered with graffiti. Does Mr. Sub ever inspect the franchise locations? Seeing a location in this condition certainly helps partially explain how Subway is kicking Mr. Sub's backside all across Canada.

Not quite what I expected, but it got my attention

Hello Kitty graffiti at the Broadway and Commercial SkyTrain Station, Vancouver, BC

Hello Kitty graffiti at the Broadway and Commercial SkyTrain Station, Vancouver, BC (Detail)

I tell my marketing students to never underestimate the power of cute. The Smart Car, the VW Beetle and the reigning queen of cuteness, Hello Kitty. In some categories cute is pretty much all you need to be the market leader. And the millions of dollars that Sanrio makes form licensing the HJello Kitty figure is a testement ot tyhe ppower of cute.

So, imagine my surprise when I saw the image of Hello Kitty on a support for the SkyTrain tracks.  Yes, I expected graffiti, but I not this.

Will it be painted out? Probably. But I think that is a shame. It is certainly nicer to look at than the raw steel of the girder. And it it does get painted out, it will likely return. Never underestimate the power of Hello Kitty.