Sassy Sally’s Casino

The process of sign design should be strategically programmed to provide long-term solutions, a culmination of crucial steps from the earliest phases of planning and design, to engineering, manufacturing, and, finally, installation. Evaluating the client’s needs, the sign’s location, the installation requirements, as well as the local codes and regulations are just some of the key aspects to be taken into consideration during the sign design process. Once a conceptual design is determined, cohesive guidelines are established for a sign’s typology, color, material, etc. These guidelines embody the principles of design, including contrast, proportion, and balance.

Sassy Sally’s Casino was open on Fremont Street from 1980 to 1999. Charles Barnard—the prolific sign designer responsible for “Vegas Vickie”—designed the Sassy Sally’s signage in 1980, inspired by the Gay 90s aesthetics associated with the saloons of the late 1800s. These designs typically combined bold lettering with a distinct “daytime neon” color palette of yellow and red. According to color psychology, yellow is the brightest color on the spectrum and implies cheerfulness, while red is associated with excitement. Together they achieve an eye-catching effect. In addition to the sign’s color, the typography of the Sassy Sally’s signage also conveys a subliminal message: note the two “S’s” in the word “Sassy.” Those dollar signs might symbolize money and good fortune.

On any kind of sign—pylons, marquees, bullnoses, wrap-around, porte-cochère—the engineering and manufacturing depend on the selection of appropriate materials and construction techniques to best bring to life the sign’s initial conceptual design. The letters on the Sassy Sally’s signage consist of neon tubing contained by a metal structure, in a style known as “channeling.” In contrast, other signs might utilize a simpler type of technique known as “skeletal,” where the neon tubing itself outlines a design, usually painted on the background surface of the sign, such as on the City Center Motel signage located across from the Sassy Sally’s sign.