Color as a Tool for Enhancing Customer Experience in Commercial Environments
They fell out of fashion in 1980 and 1990, but custom neon signs still look great and are a popular choice for retailers, restaurants, and other service businesses. Neon signs for sale convey information with style and urgency.
History
- Although historians have estimated that the first experiments with light-emitting glass tubes occurred in the late 1600s and the neon signs we recognize today have only been around for a little over 100 years. Sir William Ramsay, a British scientist who discovered several new gases including neon, won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry. Georges Claude was a French engineer who invented the neon light bulb in 1910. Two years later, Claude and his business partner sold the neon sign to a Parisian barber.
Function
- Since 1912, neon signs have attracted to attention for their ability to be seen well by customers. In outdoor neon signs, colorful backgrounds are used to create streetscape signage and other functional art. High visibility made them very popular during America’s boom in roadside culture. Many businesses use neon signs for helping passersby make decisions. Hotels use neon signs for attracting guests, such as the “vacancy” sign.
Types
- Neon signs have not seen much change since their introduction to America in 1925. However, neon is still a key component of popular marketing tools. With neon signs gaining popularity again in the 1990s, engineers developed new gas mixtures that could be used to extend the color spectrum of LED neon signs. Depending upon the color of the “neon sign”, it might contain helium carbon dioxide, or even argon. Fiber optics and LED technology allow for more efficient signage. This is often done in familiar neon-like forms.
Considerations
- The use of neon signs by business owners is a contributing factor to visual clutter, according to historians as well as architects. Business owners must consider both the message and aesthetic of neon signs when choosing them for their businesses. Neon signs have a wide range of opinions in the local communities. New Yorkers complained about a neon umbrella attached four stories to a bank headquarter. Bostonians love an iconic gas station sign and managed to survive a disagreement with its foreign owners.
Benefits
- Vintage neon signs attract both customers and spectators. These neon signs have become a symbol of pride for businesses and their owners over the years. From a more practical perspective, neon signs can be used to indicate whether a store will be open or closed.