Milwaukee custom sign manufacturer Sign Effectz Inc. usually makes signs shaped like a box, but it is currently working on one with a less conventional shape: a waffle cone.
Oscar’s Frozen Custard hired Sign Effectz earlier this year to make a new sign for its Franklin location opening soon at 27th Street and Rawson Avenue.
“We started working with them for the new location, and we came up with this awesome design for the freestanding sign. They loved it so much they said we want to do this at all the locations,” said Sign Effectz sales manager Michael Dlugi.
While the sign is awaiting plan commission approval for the Franklin and Town of Brookfield locations, it was recently approved for Oscar’s West Allis location at 2362 S. 108th St. The installation is planned for the end of May or early June.
“I want to credit the design fully to Susie Taylor,” Dlugi said. “She is the creative mind behind a lot of the designs within their locations… she said, ‘We want something really iconic. We want people to know we’re a homemade custard stand.’”
Not only is the 23-foot high sign shaped like a custard waffle cone, but the sign will change colors every day based on the day’s custard flavor. For example, it will light up red for strawberry and green for key lime pie.
Sign Effectz also incorporated many elements to make it look like a real custard waffle cone. LED lighting is used to accentuate the wrapping of the cone, the custard looks like it is dripping, and it has a cherry on the top that will light up.
“It won’t just be flat with a painted image,” Dlugi said. “It will have texture to it just like if you were looking at an actual cone.”
In addition to the LED lighting to signify the wrapping of the cone, Sign Effectz designed each individual letter in the Oscar’s logo to light up.
“We took their idea and vision and turned it into something that has LED lighting, so it’s energy efficient,” Dlugi said. “It takes approximately 10 percent of power usage of what the old sign did on an annual basis.”
Sign Effectz is also known for building and installing the large Stone Creek Coffee cup on top of the coffee roaster’s building at 422 N. 5th St. in Milwaukee and the 30-foot wind palms metal sculptures at the Discovery World museum.
