The neon era is coming back
Posted by Ágnes Taraszovics · Oct 23, 2015

The colorful neon signs were defining key elements of the 70's and 80's: all shops - whether it was a supermarket or hairdresser – tried to attract attention with this kind of logo and advertising. And then as big fashion it was, the colorfully illuminated advertising has become as embarrassing after some years. Apart from a couple of run-down neighborhoods and several neon loyal places, it disappeared from everywhere.

The neon signs appeared in Budapest in the 1930s, and the city got its cosmopolitan atmosphere partly from these fluorescent lamps. During the World War II most of them were destroyed and nothing changed until the seventies, when the second golden age of urban neon signs became. By the end of the 80s, and after the political change, new forms of advertising have overshadowed the old-fashioned neon ads.

But fortunately the Neon Group saw the uniqueness in this bygone form of advertising. They launched a project back in 2004 with the aim of creating a collection of old neon signs from the streets. They wanted to save, restore and exhibit the once very popular neons of Budapest; the ultimate goal was the establishment of a Neon Museum and Cultural Center. The committed team has mapped out, collected, systematized and renovated the fluorescent lamps in the first 3-4 years. In fact: they collaborated with the former Cultural Heritage Protection Office and many neon signs have been declared as protected. They received a storage room in the building of the Electrical Museum, and exhibited the protected neon ads on the inner façade wall of the museum.

Nowadays the project seems sleeping, but it can be a sign of the future prosperity, that a young graphic designer, Luca Patkós also saw fantasy in this thing. Luca created a whole new image to the Neon Group within her diploma work, called as neonon. As part of the new image, she designed a logo, business card, facebook page, illustrations, infographics, introductory flyer and website as well. But Luca thought the project even further: she made pictograms, tickets and brochure plan to the future museum. But what we like most is the “neon map”, a map that shows where the luminous signs are in the city. And the best part is that the map itself looks like neon!

What do you think? Would it be a great thing to bring these neon signs back? We have some great childhood memories about the broke down, half lighting neons, which it would be great to relive again. This time in full lighting.

Pictures: www.behance.net/patkosluca

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