Monday, November 18, 2013

Vintage Advertising Signs And The Story Behind Them

By Katy Kline


Advertising has been around for as long as anyone can remember. In order to sell products or show people about an event you need to talk about it. Vintage advertising signs were one of the most important starts to this industry.

Signs are something very visual. They can have a wide variety of colors or pictures or a combination of the two. People are generally attracted to vivid artwork. This is why most advertising signs use a mix of bright colors. Also the photography on the poster is a very important aspect. The type that is used really depends on the time period. If you were doing one for the 1960s you would want more psychedelic, bright colored artwork. While if it was for the 1980s, darker, normal tones mixed with very vibrant colors would be used. Also most of these images are realistic looking versus the 60s where things are very artsy.

Back around the 17th century a law was enacted that stopped anything from being hung. Since advertisements had gotten so loud and giant over the years, they were having a problem with them falling off of buildings. This meant that the people walking below had the possibility of being hit and crushed with them. A while after this law was created, they changed it. It was decided things could be hung, but they must be held tightly to the side of a building or wall.

The light bulb was a wonderful thing brought to us around the 19th century. This gave the ability to view these masterpieces in the night or day. Stores may have been spending more to get the bulb, but with all the extra advertising time, it made it well worth it.

Another great invention were neon tubes, which were created in the 20th century. The first time one of these was used was in 1921. These have been a prominent staple in this type of business ever since. Neon is usually seen in bigger cities, it will line the streets and give them a magnificent glow.

During the wars the industry changed a little bit. Materials were conserved and plastic became a popular material, since tin or metal was no longer allowed to be used. Plastic was a pretty durable and cheap alternative. It was able to get the manufacturers around the conservation orders at the devastating time of war.

Around the 1950s certain plastics were still pricier then neon. Although this was the case companies still chose plastic. Since it was simpler to make it allowed them to produce more product, which meant the ability to sell more. Also neon at the time forced them to make contracts with other places outside of their business. Eliminating neon, got rid of the need for these.

Vintage advertising signs are an important part of business history. Without these, we would not have the industry that we have today. Technologies for them have advanced over the years. They have gone from plain, to having neon tubes, light bulbs and lots of bold colors. Eventually they were turned into plastic and formed into what we know today.




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