Look back: 2013 turned out to be a year of highs and lows in the industry
January. Man killed by betting shop sign. Shocking story at the start of the year
A man has been killed after a betting shop sign fell on a busy London street. The bookmaker says that an investigation is underway. The unidentified pedestrian was passing the William Hill branch on Camden Road, just before 5pm yesterday, when the 30ft long metal sign struck him on the head.
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February. Sign Plus finish 'largest Scottish wrap' ever. Big up north.
Fife-based firm Sign Plus has finished what it believes to be Scotland's 'Largest Building Wrap', promoting the £1.6 bn Forth Replacement Crossing.
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March. WW1 stories brought to life with Projectiondesign. Timewatch with a sign.
Projectiondesign technology has been used throughout the museum to portray different periods of WW1 in a modern way. The new Flanders Fields Museum in Ypres, Belgium, interprets the stories of WW1 using modern museum techniques and multimedia. In an attempt to make displays as effective as possible, the museum turned to Projectiondesign for help.
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April. Digital Plus gets medieval. Signs of the olden times.
Leeds-based sign-maker Digital Plus has produced all the graphics for the Capital of the North exhibition at the Yorkshire Museum. The project saw Digital Plus create a wide variety of highly specified large-format graphics. The company partnered with Inchpunch to carry out the project, which showcases historical artefacts such as the Cawood Sword, the Middleham Jewel and other items belonging to both Richard III and his mother.
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May. Sign firm helps after 'sick' war memorial damage. Sign-maker is good citizen.
A sign-maker has branded the vandalism of two London war memorials as 'sick and despicable' as he stepped in to provide a temporary banner to cover the damage.
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June. Digital advertising set for top of London cabs. Taxis for hire.
The first ever digital advertising on top of London's black cabs will appear within three months, after Transport for London granted approval for the scheme. The technology has the potential to have a major effect on the vehicle advertising sector. Brightmove Media are the holders of the licence that will allow it to launch its TaxiCast technology on an intital fleet of 25 taxis. The technology changes the message displayed depending on the time of day and the vehicle's location.
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July. Amscreen has got its eyes on you. Be careful where you look!
Amscreen has incorporated eye detection software into its network of 6,000 machines. Advertisers will now have a way of measuring the engagement with its advertising. OptimEyes means that advertisers will now be able to see exactly how many people look at their advert across the Amscreen network.
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August. How much should a council spend on a sign? Nothing!
The leader of the Labour group at Bournemouth council says the £76,000 sign greeting visitors to the town is a “total waste of money”. The controversial sign that has cost at least £76,000
When asked by SignLink how much would have been acceptable to spend on the controversial sign, Councillor Ben Grower emphatically replied: “Nothing”.
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September. Breakdancing Jesus moves to print. Heaven's above!
A British artist, who became a viral internet sensation with his 28-ft mural of a break-dancing Jesus, is releasing the art work as a limited edition print for the first time. The controversial painting went viral within hours, and the volume of interest crashed Sarson’s website. Cosmo Sarson’s giant mural, which features Jesus Christ break-dancing, was unveiled in June 2013 in the Stoke’s Croft area of Bristol, opposite Banksy’s iconic ‘Mild Mild West’ piece.
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October. It’s not just signage; it’s M&S signage. High Street favourite on message.
Sign 2000 has completed an exterior signage project for the Marks and Spencer anchor store in the redesigned Whitely Village Shopping Centre in Hampshire. The immediately recognisable M&S branding now adorns the side of the building, thanks to Sign 2000. The project comprises six sets of high-level LED-illuminated brand mark letters, which have been fitted to various glass, architectural timber and brickwork facades at the retail giant’s site.
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November. Could pawn brokers help your business grow? Left field finance idea.
If there is one grouch that unifies pretty much all sign making businesses it is the eternal problem of getting the banks to help with investment. The big name banks are often accused of not lending to small and medium sized firms, or of making the terms and conditions so unattractive that sign-making companies back off from investing or seek other forms of finance, such as family, friends, and business partners. One source that comes under the title of traditional finance is the pawn broker.
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December. Ghostly illusion comes to life. Spooky side of signs.
Ever since John Henry Pepper demonstrated the spooky effect in his lecture tours in Victorian England, audiences have gasped at Pepper's Ghost, as it came to be known. Now a firm of inventors have created a modern version of the famed theatrical effect. Engage Production who specialise in interactive technologies for branded environments have announced the distribution of Holo—a 21st version of the illusion.
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