Amir Samarghandi

asamarghandi@enquirer.com

Update, July 18 1:30 p.m.: The streetcar's Queen City ties keep strengthening as a new advertising plan with the University of Cincinnati was announced Tuesday.

Advertising Vehicles — which is contracted with the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority to sell the naming rights and advertising on the Cincinnati Streetcar — announced an advertising contract with the UC’s Carl H. Lindner College of Business via a Monday news release.

The contract includes large exterior ads on three streetcars and interior ads on all five vehicles, the release stated.

“The Lindner MBA program is one of the most acclaimed in the United States and this is a great opportunity to communicate that message to both employers and prospective students,” said David Szymanski, dean of No. 31 ranked online business program in the country by U.S. News & World Report magazine, in the release.

Other businesses are moving to secure advertising on the five streetcars. Another contract with Kerry Toyota was also signed for interior ads on all five cars. It was recently announced that Richter & Phillips Jewelers and Four Entertainment Group had purchased advertising on the streetcars, while several other advertising contracts are still being finalized, according to the release.

A recent two-year commitment on all five streetcars by the Over-the-Rhine brewer Rhinegeist put ad sale totals for the streetcar above $300,000, according to a previous news release.

Revenue from streetcar advertising and naming rights will be used to help fund streetcar operations, a release stated.

The streetcar is scheduled to open in September.

Previous reporting: Rhinegeist and the streetcar may not be able to get much closer physically, but their business relationship continues to tighten.

Rhinegeist has made a two-year commitment to buy advertising on all five Cincinnati Streetcar vehicles, putting the total vehicle advertising sales for the streetcar over $300,000 so far, according to the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority.

“With the incredible amount of activities, concerts, events going on and all of the businesses, bars and restaurants popping up across the city, the streetcar serves as amazing connector for a thriving and abundantly positive culture," said Rhinegeist co-founder Bryant Goulding in a news release sent Tuesday by Metro.

Revenue from streetcar advertising and naming rights will be used to help fund streetcar operations, the release stated.

Richter & Phillips Jewelers, Four Entertainment Group, Taste of Belgium and Kerry Toyota have also purchased advertising on the streetcars.

The transit authority is contracted with Advertising Vehicles, Inc. for selling advertising and naming rights on the streetcar vehicles.