Lighting as an Advertising Medium



Lighting has been used in many creative ways to lend presence and a sense of awe to events. The bright lights at ball games and in stadiums create a good association in people. Lighting has made many things possible that weren’t before. Late night football games and trade shows; your child’s soccer or basket ball game-they can now be played in evenings and at night, when you can actually watch.

The advent of light as an advertising medium has slowly but surely gained momentum. Spotlights brighten the sky during festivals and large events, striking long, wide arcs across the night.

The instant you see a spotlight, you know that something is going on, and you want to know what it is. You might be drawn to look up the event that’s going on, and even attend. This is a powerful effect, and one that has been put to good use by advertising campaigns around the world.

Colored lights bring to mind fun, parties, and good times; they can create specific moods and feelings; ambiences and atmospheres. Black light is used to create an eerie, surreal feeling; soft light creates a romantic atmosphere; even fluorescent light has associations to human beings.

Lighting balloons, and even blimps with lighting effects, have become the norm at huge sports events like the super-bowl and the soccer world cup. How can your eye not be caught by the magnificently large balloon with multi colored lights? And who can ignore the large, crawling blimps with lights showcasing their wide-screen advertisements?

Even at trade shows, balloons with lights are used to advertise services and products. Jewelry stores use lights extremely effectively, managing to create a fairy-tale like glow that makes that diamond ring look like the most beautiful ring in the world. Of course, it is probably the most expensive as well.

It is a fact that light as an advertising medium has become so effective, we make associations with different types of lighting in an instant. For example, to most of us spotlights mean a large event; blimps and lighted balloons highlight the slogans of their advertisers; colored lights usually indicate a party or celebration; the list could go and on.

Light is a powerful advertising medium that can create an amazing presence, no matter how large or small the event. Advertisers have effectively managed to make the creative use of light one of the most dominant elements at large events around the world.