Neon signs are slowly disappearing from the urban landscape in favor of techniques that are less complex in composition. This rarity gives an added character to the few companies that still use neon lights to project their brand image. But how long will they resist?
It seems far away, time red light, when storefronts on Saint-Laurent Boulevard were lit up with countless neon lights. Today, experience is being lost to this technology. The arrival of LED technology, which consumes less energy and is more practical, dealt the final blow to neon tubes.
Chez Ben, a true Granby institution, is struggling to find someone willing to take care of working on its legendary neon sign, which represents a man stuffing himself with unhealthy food with the inscription: “Chez Ben, get off the belly.”
“The man has been there since 1974. I was born and he was there. So there is an attachment. We know that vitamin Aeternam advertising cannot continue. That day we will have to switch to LED. But we are trying to delay this moment as much as possible, because it does not have Our entire brand image—the trim, the uniform, the logo—is outdated, and we don’t want to lose that.
Lots of feedback
The huge sign in front of the restaurant needs to be repainted. This process requires the neon lights to be removed and then reinstalled once the paint has dried. However, no one raised a hand, despite the active search for trade.
Thursday morning, Jimmy Doby took to Facebook to find someone with that expertise. After several weeks of searching [infructueuses]We need you! Our dear Ben is getting tired and needs a little love. The problem is that there doesn’t seem to be anyone in Quebec who fixes the signs [au néon] “Can we read on the snacks page.
This post quickly went viral. In Granby, the Chez Ben brand is part of the kitsch heritage, just like Montreal’s Orange Julep. “With all the letters I’ve received since this morning, I imagine I’ll find someone,” gloats Jimmy Doby, overwhelmed by the amount of his posting.
Not suitable for Quebec
So there is hope for “Ben la bédaine”. But everywhere, the neon signs are in bad shape. Some letters no longer light up and have not been replaced. Due to a shortage of manpower, some end up switching to LED technology, which provides a smoother artificial glow.
The decline began in the 1980s with the advent of LED [DEL en français] 10-15 years old was the fatal blow. The main reason for this is the temperature in Quebec. Neon lights don’t hold up well against snow, ice, rain…so the world has replaced neon signs with less attractive but more durable signs,” says François Bergeron, owner of Claude Enseignes in Quebec.
In this area for 41 years, expect the end of neon signs in 10 or 20 years. Not only are neon glassblowers scarce, supplies are getting more expensive and need to be imported from the United States.
‘No more succession’
Against all odds, Michelle de Blasio continued to major in neon. The proprietor of La Fabrique du Néon, in Saint-Eustache, counts mainly artists among his clients; It is estimated that retail brands account for only 5% of its activities.
For now, its business is doing quite well, converting almost all of its competitors to LED-only technology. But Michelle de Blasio couldn’t help but be pessimistic about the future, too. “When I started, 35 years ago, we came to replace those who were retired. But today, there is no more rest. Me, when I retire, there will be no one to replace me,” he said wistfully.
