Informative Speech

David Timpson

7-8-18

Informative Speech: Audience Assessment

Specific Goal:

My goal is to “Illuminate” my audience by giving them the history of the neon sign.

My Narrowed Topic:

Strategy:

I’ll teach my topic by explanation.

Narrow Focus:

Original topic: All about neon signs.

Narrower topic: In depth history of neon signs.

Even narrower topic: Brief History of Neon Signs.

Ethos:

-Primary Ethos:

I love looking at neon signs and learning the history of them.

-Secondary Ethos:

I will cite three expert references.

Audience Knowledge Level:

Most audience members don’t know anything about the history of neon signs.

Adaptation to Audience Knowledge: I will help my audience understand my topic by keeping it

very simple.

Pattern of Organization:

I’ll use a chronological pattern of organization.

Informative Speech: Outline

Brief History of Neon Signs

Introduction:

I. Hook:

Everybody has seen a neon sign, whether it be an open sign on the door on your favorite
restaurant or beer advertising at a gas station. As it turns out, this mode of advertising has a rich
history.

II. Thesis: Today I will briefly give the history of the neon sign.

III. Ethos:

I am only an expert in neon signs in that I have a passion for them: I love to stare at them, read
about them and watch videos about them.

IV. Preview:

1. I will discuss the origins of the neon sign.

2. I will describe the “golden age” of neon signs.

3. I will speak of their decline and place in society today.

Transition: I will start with the humble beginnings of the neon sign.

Body

I.The origins of neon signs.

A. The use of electrified noble gases as advertising followed soon after discovery of the
noble gasses.

i. Sir William Ramsey discovered Argon, Neon, Krypton, and Xenon

ii. Argon is greek for “inactive or lazy one”, Neon is “new one”, Krypton is
“hidden one”, Xenon is “stranger” ​(Boyd & Rucker, 2017).

B. Daniel Moore created the “Moore Lamps”.

i. Moore worked for Thomas Edison.

 ii. At the time his tubes were more efficient than light bulbs, but that soon
changed.

C. Georges Claude put all previous knowledge together and created his own electrode.

i. Received patent in 1910.

ii. Demonstrated neons at the Paris Motor Show.

iii. “So while one cannot say that Claude made the first neon sign, it's perfectly
acceptable to credit him with inventing neon signs suitable for practical use” ​(Wallace, 2012).

Transition: Next I’ll move on to the golden era.

II. The heyday of neon signs.

A. Earl C Anthony visits Paris.

i. Anthony see’s Claude’s neons on display.

ii. He orders two for his Packard dealership in Las Angeles.

iii. “Claude’s use of neon at the Paris Motor Show was perhaps prophetic since
neon soon became an integral part of automobile culture, particularly in the United
States” ​(Boyd & Rucker, 2017)​.

B. Neon tubes are used in computers.

i. Many properties of neon signs made them perfect for the first calculators.

Transition: Lastly I will move on to the decline of neon signs as advertising.

III. Decline of the neon sign and use today.

A. First signs of decline after WWII.

i. Many signs turned off during government mandated blackouts and never turned
back on.

ii. "Cheaper, low-maintenance signs made possible by new kinds of plastics and
fluorescent tubes replaced them.” ​(Boyd & Rucker, 2017)​.

B. Artists and preservationists still use and appreciate the medium.

i. “One of the most successful albums from the start of the twenty-first century is
Neon Bible​, by the band Arcade Fire” ​(Ribbat, 2012, p. 18)​.
 C. Still used, mainly in seedy places.

Transition to close: I now conclude my speech and thank you for your attention.

Conclusion:

I.Summarize main points/thesis: Neon signs came, became very important, and left us with
nostalgic feeling of a time gone by.

II.Bookend: Now you will think a little more about neon signs next time you pass that open sign
at your favorite restaurant.

III. End the speech memorably: Bow.

References:

Boyd, J. E., & Rucker, J. (2017, September 21). A Blaze of Crimson Light: The Story of Neon.

Retrieved July 1, 2018, from https://www.sciencehistory.org/distillations/magazine/a-bl

aze-of-cri mson-light-the-story-of-neon

Ribbat, C. (2013). Flickering Light: A History of Neon. London: Reaktion.

Wallace, H. (2012, April 20). OPEN: The History of Neon Signs. ​The Atlantic​.