Coca-Cola Neon Spectacular

Fact Sheet

History in Atlanta

• Coca-Cola advertising has been a part of the Atlanta cityscape since 1886, but few examples were as visible or well known as the series of signs that appeared for many years on Margaret Mitchell Square (located at the intersection of Peachtree and Pryor Streets).
• Between 1932 and 1981, a handful of different sign concepts occupied Margaret Mitchell Square:
  • The original sign (ca. 1932-1938) featured a nine-foot-tall neon trademark, a 24-sheet billboard that was changed out monthly, and a motograph - an electric sign using light bulbs to create letters in order to relay news of current events to Atlantans.
  • The original sign was replaced in 1938 with a weather sign that displayed snowflakes, raindrops, clouds or sunrays to forecast the next day's weather. This sign was dismantled in 1941 to make way for a new building on site.
  • During World War II, with building materials scarce, Coca-Cola utilized an existing sign featuring S&W Cafeteria to advertise the Coca-Cola brand at Margaret Mitchell Square.
  • In 1948 work was completed on the Coca-Cola "Neon Spectacular" sign - the image most associated with Margaret Mitchell Square. The Neon Spectacular was 48 feet tall and 33 feet wide, featuring a 28-foot-wide trademark as well as a 44-foot-tall thermometer (the first of its kind featured on a Neon Spectacular.
  • In 1965, the thermometer was replaced by a digital temperature display, while at the same time, the horizontal neon background was changed to a pinwheel design.
• This sign remained at the Margaret Mitchell Square site until January 1981, when it was dismantled and permanently removed to make way for the development of a city park.

Creating a New Legacy

• After a 20-plus year absence in downtown Atlanta, the Coca-Cola Neon Spectacular makes its return in 2003 to a spot not far from the original Margaret Mitchell Square location.
• The sign will reside atop the old Olympia Building (now home to retail shops), located at 22 Peachtree Street (At the intersection of Peachtree and Decatur streets).
• The new location is framed by Woodruff Park to the north and Underground Atlanta to the south.
• The new Neon Spectacular will be unveiled during a Coca-Cola Founders Day celebration on May 6, which commemorates the company's 117th birthday. Features will include:
  • A 33-foot diameter face featuring the Coca-Cola logo and vintage pinwheel-design neon background on both sides of the sign
  • A 4x8-foot time and temperature matrix on both sides of the sign
  • A 9x18-foot message matrix featuring changeable, community-focused messages created remotely by computer
• Atlanta's new structure will be the latest addition to a distinguished list of Neon Spectacular signs that Coca-Cola has prominently displayed at venues in some of the largest cities in the world, including Piccadilly Circus in London and Times Square in New York. However, Atlanta's sign will be unique in that it is the only "retro-style" structure Coca-Cola has ever designed.