Editing Piccadilly Circus (section)

===Illuminated signs===
[[File:MK17684 Piccadilly Circus.jpg|thumb|Illuminated signs of Piccadilly Circus in 2014]]

Piccadilly Circus was surrounded by illuminated advertising hoardings on buildings, starting in 1908 with a [[Perrier]] sign,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vols31-2/pt2/pp85-100#h3-0006 |title=The rebuilding of Piccadilly Circus and the Regent Street Quadrant |website=British History Online |publisher=London County Council |access-date=25 March 2015}}</ref> but only one building now carries them, the one in the northwestern corner between Shaftesbury Avenue and Glasshouse Street. The site is unnamed (usually referred to as "Monico" after the [[Café Monico]], which used to be on the site); its addresses are 44/48 Regent Street, 1/6 Sherwood Street, 17/22 Denman Street and 1/17 [[Shaftesbury Avenue]], and it has been owned by property investor [[Land Securities Group]] since the 1970s.

The earliest signs used [[incandescent light bulb]]s; these were replaced with [[neon light]]s and with moving signs (there was a large [[Guinness]] clock at one time). The first Neon sign was for the British meat extract [[Bovril]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/constructionandproperty/8796899/Piccadilly-Lights-A-timeline.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/constructionandproperty/8796899/Piccadilly-Lights-A-timeline.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Piccadilly Lights: A timeline |website=The Telegraph |date=29 September 2011 |access-date=25 March 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref> From December 1998, [[digital projector]]s were used for the Coke sign, the square's first digital billboard,<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/235776.stm | work=BBC News | title=Piccadilly shows sign of the times | date=16 December 1998}}</ref> while in the 2000s there was a gradual move to [[light-emitting diode|LED]] displays, which completely replaced neon lamps by 2011. The number of signs has reduced over the years as the rental costs have increased, and in January 2017 the six remaining advertising screens were switched off as part of their combination into one large ultra-high definition curved [[Daktronics]] display, turning the signs off during renovation for the longest time since the 1940s. On 26 October 2017, the new screen was switched on for the first time.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-38233520 | work=BBC News | title=Piccadilly Circus lights to be switched off for revamp | date=8 December 2016}}</ref>

Until the 2017 refurbishment, the site had six LED advertising screens above three large retail units facing Piccadilly Circus on the north side, occupied by [[Boots Group|Boots]], [[Gap (clothing retailer)|Gap]] and a mix of smaller retail, restaurant and office premises fronting the other streets. A [[Burger King]] located under the Samsung advert, which had been a [[Wimpy Bar]] until 1989, closed in early 2008 and was converted into a [[Barclays]] Bank.

[[File:International Piccadilly- Overseas Troops in London, 1942 D9794.jpg|thumb|right|[[Guinness]] advertisement with their [[Advertising slogan|slogan]], "Guinness is good for you", at Piccadilly Circus in 1942]]
*[[Coca-Cola]] has had a sign at Piccadilly Circus since 1954.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2011/june/coca-cola-neon-sign-piccadilly-circus |title=The making of a Coca-Cola neon sign, 1954 |author=Mark Sinclair |date=24 June 2011 |website=Creative Review |access-date=25 March 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150320014636/http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2011/june/coca-cola-neon-sign-piccadilly-circus |archive-date=20 March 2015 }}</ref> In September 2003, the previous digital projector board and the site that had been occupied by [[Nestlé|Nescafé]] was replaced with a state-of-the-art LED video display that curves round with the building. Before Nescafé, a neon advertisement for [[Foster's Lager|Foster's]] occupied the spot from 1987 until 1999, and from 1978 to 1987 it was used by [[Philips|Philips Electronics]]. For several months in 2002, the Nescafé sign was replaced by a sign featuring the quote "Imagine all the people living life in peace" by [[The Beatles|Beatle]] [[John Lennon]]. This was paid for by his widow [[Yoko Ono]], who spent an estimated £150,000 to display an advert at this location.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/imagine-some-peace-in-piccadilly-circus-9206521.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220526/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/imagine-some-peace-in-piccadilly-circus-9206521.html |archive-date=26 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live | location=London | work=The Independent | first=Paul | last=Peachey | title=Imagine: some peace in Piccadilly Circus | date=5 March 2002}}</ref> Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero, Fanta, Sprite and Vitamin Water have all been advertised in the space. 
*[[Hyundai Motors]] sign launched on 29 September 2011.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.mediaweek.co.uk/news/1096115/ | location=London | work=Media Week| first=Arif | last=Durrani | title=Hyundai replaces Sanyo as Piccadilly Circus advertiser | date=29 September 2011}}</ref> It replaced a sign for [[Sanyo]] which had occupied the space since around early 1988 (slightly modified in 2004), the last to be run using neon lights rather than Hyundai's computerised LED screen. Earlier Sanyo signs with older logos had occupied the position since 1978, although these were only half the size of the later space.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/8327688/Red-Sanyo-sign-in-Piccadilly-Circus-to-be-switched-off.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/8327688/Red-Sanyo-sign-in-Piccadilly-Circus-to-be-switched-off.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live | location=London | work=The Telegraph | first=Danielle | last=Demetriou | title=Red Sanyo sign in Piccadilly Circus to be switched off | date=16 February 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
*[[McDonald's]] added its sign in 1987, replacing one for [[BASF]]. The sign was changed from neon to LED in 2001. A bigger, brighter screen was installed by Daktronics in 2008.<ref>{{cite web|title = Interactive Display at Piccadilly Circus launches McDonald's and Daktronics in the Spotlight|url = http://www.daktronics.com/Company/NewsReleases/Pages/McDonaldsInteractiveDisplay.aspx|website = Daktronics|access-date = 16 February 2016|last = BROOKINGS|first = S. D.|date = 25 August 2009|archive-date = 18 September 2018|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180918004656/https://www.daktronics.com/Company/NewsReleases/Pages/McDonaldsInteractiveDisplay.aspx|url-status = dead}}</ref>[[File:COVID-19 - Piccadilly Circus, London UK.jpg|thumb|Piccadilly Circus during the [[COVID-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom|COVID-19 lockdown]] in March 2020]]
*[[Samsung]] added its sign in November 1994,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://eng.ksignnews.com/news/article.html?no%3D2543 |title=한국광고신문 |access-date=2 February 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081227051916/http://eng.ksignnews.com/news/article.html?no=2543 |archive-date=27 December 2008 }}</ref> the space having been previously occupied by [[Canon Inc.]] (1978–84) and [[Panasonic]] (1984–94). The sign was changed from neon to LED in summer 2005. The screen was upgraded and improved in autumn 2011.
*[[L'Oreal]], Hunter Original and [[eBay]] both had signs in the Piccadilly circus billboards since October 2017.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.mediacom.com/uk/news/news/2017/ebay-completes-advertiser-roster-for-piccadilly-lights-relaunch.html| title=Ebay completes advertiser rooster for Piccadilly Lights relaunch.|access-date=20 October 2017}}</ref>{{efn|name=Piccadilly|The Piccadilly lights have switched off for Refurbishment until [[Autumn]], But eBay, L'Oreal, and Hunter have planned to advertise in the Piccadilly Circus lights since the refurbishment is done, and instead of [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]], eBay instead advertise on the Billboards, which may be the former spot for [[Nikon]].}} 
*One Piccadilly, the highest resolution of all the LED displays was installed by Daktronics, in late 2013, underneath the Samsung and McDonald's signs. It allowed other companies to advertise for both short- and long-term leases, increasing the amount of advertising space but using the same screen for multiple brands. Prior to this an earlier, smaller LED screen called ''Piccadilly Lite'' occupied the space from 3 December 2007 to 2013. The space has also been occupied by [[JVC]] (1978–84), [[Carlsberg Group|Carlsberg]] (1984–2003) and [[Budweiser (Anheuser-Busch)|Budweiser]] (2003–07).
*The Curve, a similar space to One Piccadilly, was added in 2015, replacing a space previously occupied by [[Schweppes]] (1920–61), [[BP]] (1961–67), [[Cinzano]] (1967–78), [[Fujifilm]] (1978–86), [[Kodak]] (1986–90) and [[TDK]] (1990–2015).<ref>{{Cite news|title = TDK ad at Piccadilly Circus: lights go out on 25 years of history|url = https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/mar/11/tdk-ad-london-piccadilly-circus|newspaper = The Guardian|date = 11 March 2015|access-date = 16 February 2016|issn = 0261-3077|language = en-GB|last = Monkey}}</ref> [[Burberry]] was using the space as of December 2015.<ref>{{cite news |title=Burberry lets passers-by take over Piccadilly Circus screen to create personalised scarves |url=https://www.marketingweek.com/burberry-lets-passers-by-take-over-piccadilly-circus-screens-to-create-personalised-scarves/ |access-date=10 December 2024 |work=Marketing Week}}</ref>
*[[LG Group|LG]] was added in February 2007 on the roof of Coventry House, which diagonally faces Piccadilly Circus.<ref>{{cite web|title = LG giant LED screen in Piccadilly Circus LetsGoMobile|url = http://www.letsgomobile.org/en/0832/piccadillycircus/|website = LetsGoMobile|access-date = 16 February 2016|last = Jurrien|date = 14 February 2007|first = Ralf}}</ref> Its sign is a large LED video advertising display for LGE, the British arm of the South Korean electronics group. The new display also incorporates a scrolling [[news ticker|ticker]] of [[Sky News]] headlines. Before LG, [[Vodafone]] had a neon sign installed on that spot, which displayed both its logo and personal messages that could be submitted on a special website and displayed at a certain time and date.

On special occasions the lights are switched off, such as the deaths of [[Winston Churchill]] in 1965 and [[Diana, Princess of Wales]] in 1997. On 21 June 2007, they were switched off for one hour as part of the Lights Out London campaign.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/6225108.stm|title=London lights out for environment|date=22 June 2007|work=BBC News}}</ref> After the [[Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II|death of Elizabeth II]], all advertising on Piccadilly Circus was replaced with an image honouring the Queen, as part of a suspension of [[out-of-home advertising]] agreed upon by the industry.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Media and advertising on the day of The Queen's funeral: everything you need to know |url=https://www.thedrum.com/news/2022/09/15/media-and-advertising-the-day-the-queen-s-funeral-everything-you-need-know |access-date=28 November 2022 |website=The Drum}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Innes |first1=Molly |last2=Carroll |first2=Niamh |date=9 September 2022 |title=Ads paused, plans on hold: How the industry is paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth II |url=https://www.marketingweek.com/brands-media-respond-queens-death/ |access-date=28 November 2022 |website=Marketing Week |language=en}}</ref>

Other companies and brands that have had signs on the site were [[Bovril]], [[Volkswagen]], [[Max Factor]], [[Wrigley's Spearmint]], [[Skol]], [[Air India]] and [[Gold Flake]] (as Will's Gold Flake Cigarettes).<ref>Marshall 1972, pp. 136–143.</ref>

Since 2020, the [[Cultural Institute of Radical Contemporary Arts]] has broadcast specially commissioned two-minute artworks for the screens, broadcast at the same time each evening. In 2022 the segments were shown at 8:22&nbsp;p.m.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Buck |first1=Louisa |title=Circa's Piccadilly Circus billboard offers Christmas lights with a difference |url=https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2022/11/30/piccadilly-circus-shines-a-light-on-artists |access-date=20 December 2022 |work=The Art Newspaper - International art news and events |date=30 November 2022}}</ref>