It looks very smooth in real life, doesn't transfer to video well

If you weren't sleeping on the northbound Metro Red Line between Hollywood/Highland and Universal last week, then you may have noticed a Speed Racer movie trailer all of the sudden playing inside the tunnel.

Officially announced today, the high-tech subway tunnel advertising tool is a first in North America for this type of digital advertising. It is "an LED system composed of 360 digital strips [that] will light up at timed intervals as the train passes the subway wall at speeds of 70 miles per hour, blending together to form a smooth-flowing video advertisement," according to Metro.

The two-year pilot project will raise at least $240,000 per year for Metro, who has to do nothing or spend no money for this program to take place.

A Target ad also began running today, but in an instant, the content can change. "The system will be controlled remotely via internet from Sidetrack’s headquarters in Winnipeg, Canada. It has the capability to rotate ads, show different ads at certain times of the day, or specific ads for passengers going in different directions," states Metro's press release.

Wait, wait, wait? Does this mean there's internet in the subway tunnels?

They say that within the next two years, expect to see this type of advertising (an update from the backlit photo versions already in some cities like Chicago and DC) in Boston, San Francisco, New York, Chicago and Washington. It's already running in London, Singapore and Beijing.