Post-Christmas spirits intend to be raised by sunlight advertisements at London Westfield
Light billboards in a London retail center have appeared to fight the post-Christmas blues.
The boards, modeled after sunshine, emit a “happy glow” that is allegedly bright enough to raise serotonin levels.
Looking at one of the billboards at london Westfield for just five minutes is said to have visible benefits because they release 10,000 lux or the same amount of light as sunlight.
One man who spent some time under a billboard said, “It has definitely brightened my evening commute.”
The billboards, revealed on “Blue Monday,” function similarly to SAD lamps, which treat seasonal depression and elevate moods.
According to health and wellbeing specialist Christina Ioannou, “SAD lamps are ingenious devices that replicate sunlight to essentially trick the brain into liberating more serotonin and reducing the secretion of the melatonin hormone.” “By regulating our slightly jumbled circadian cycle (modulating the sleep-wake cycle), this helps to improve a person’s mood.”
Advertising agency Saatchi and vitamin supplier Solgar hope this fast surge of light will be perceive as more than simply a PR gimmick and can help people battle the winter blues even though consistency is important and advise to use a SAD lamp frequently for significant effects.
On the gloomiest day of the year, Nathan Crawford, executive design director at Saatchi & Saatchi, stated, “We anticipate that by posing in front of the billboards, they might experience some brightness and bathing in the light, and hopefully a serotonin boost too.
During the unveiling on Monday, a commuter who talked with the BBC at the London retail center said: “Although I’ve never use a SAD lamp, I am aware that sunlight is meant to be uplifting. Given that it becomes dark so early these days, it is pleasant to look at something that resembles sunlight.”
January blues
In January, The third Monday, Blue Monday, is the saddest day of the year.
According to the theory developed by a travel agency in 2005, this day of the year is the lowest because of bad weather, fewer daylight hours, the passing of Christmas, failed New Year’s resolutions, and other factors.
One 30-year-old woman told the BBC, “I’ve never heard of Blue Monday, but there’s a distinct gap in mood and energy when it comes mid-January.
The benefits of looking at the billboards here at Westfield have yet to see, but as the nation enters another cold spell, it is difficult to be cranky about the comforting glow of faux sunlight.
