The Coca-Cola sign has been an iconic landmark on the Sydney streetscape for over 30 years. Located above the intersection of William Street and Darlinghurst Road, more than half a billion people have viewed the sign since it was erected in 1976.
History
Claude Neon has designed, installed, maintained and financed the sign from 1976 to the present day, with key members of the current project management and design teams having been involved with the sign since its inception.
Upgrade
The sign underwent its most significant upgrade in 1990. The plastic faced Coca-Cola graphics and border were replaced with exposed neon, the red background neon was replaced, and the entire sign was re-wired, the old breaker system replaced with a computer.
Switched Off
On March 31, 2007 the lights on the billboard were intentionally switched off for the first time, in correlation with the inaugural Earth Hour.
Large Scale Signage
Extending 41 metres in length and 13 metres in height, the billboard is made up of two parts: on the right, the famous red and white neon sign, and on the left, the more modern, flex-faced sign, upgraded from Tri-Vision in the late 80s.
Made up of eighty-eight vertical bars of red tubing, the neon sign also has 800 fluorescent lamps that are concealed behind reflectors. The flex-face style sign is internally illuminated by approximately 1,000 fluorescent lamps.