Their historic brilliance is a contemporary challenge, and their appeal is anything but obsolete. This medium, the signs around the Rade, is holding up rather well in the face of today's fast-changing communication flows, which have shifted some of their resources to social networks, but are still stubbornly dreaming of the Holy Grail.
Priceless prestige.
From the 1930s onwards, these communication gems bloomed like trophies on the rooftops overlooking one of Switzerland's most beautiful landscapes. Places are scarce and the waiting list is long.
In fact, once acquired, a site is jealously guarded more than it is vacated. If only to prevent an undesirable or a competitor from nestling in. Most of these illuminated signs are reserved over several years by luxury brands, with the watchmaking and banking sectors leading the way. They are in keeping with the tradition of a city which, apart from its big houses which already owned wall or roof-mounted signs, was at the forefront of urban electrification, thanks to its hydraulic network and dams.
Ego bursts?
What drives brands to invest such substantial sums each year? Ego, certainly, but above all the desire to anchor a name in the DNA of watchmaking Geneva, a fundamental terroir and undisputed world capital of excellence in watchmaking. Of course, the brands have always been there, but today there are also the spin-offs generated by Watches & Wonders, Time to Watch, Geneva Watch Days, EPHJ, auctions and a Grand Prix d'Horlogerie that feeds on the sparkle of the entire sector. In this propitious setting, it's easy to feel privileged.
Tangible anchors
In terms of impact performance - marketing pros speak of CPM, or cost per 1,000 views - the "illuminated sign" medium offers a better return on investment than many so-called traditional campaigns. Above all, there's the emotional aspect which, by generating widespread sympathy day and night, anchors a brand in its environment and in its original cradle. And can we measure the number of times this global landscape is photographed, then broadcast on networks and promoted to the depths of private spheres? Of course, the unconditional malcontents, hardly able to conjure up the threat of intrusiveness given the signs' ability to blend into the panorama, raise the spectre of carbon irresponsibility! Here again, they're too quick to jump to conclusions, as responsible technologies such as the latest LEDs and recyclable materials have caught them unawares. Not to mention the fact that Geneva's electricity is 100% sustainable, and that awareness of the particularly energy-hungry nature of digital technology is growing all the time...
