History Main / SkyscraperMessages

* Done heartbreakingly in ''Anime/{{RahXephon}}'', when [[spoiler: Hiroko is trying to write a love letter to Ayato while the [=RahXephon=] is fighting a [[{{Robeast}} Dolem]] in a city. A Dolem that ''she'' is synchronized to. The words of her letter start appearing on the windows of the nearby buildings, but Ayato doesn't notice until after he's destroyed the Dolem, killing Hiroko in the process.]]

* A 1970s ComicBook/SpiderMan story has the Shocker doing this with whole city blocks as part of an extortion scheme. Unsurprisingly, a later story has [[PsychoElectro Electro]] doing the same thing.
* The cover of one (UK version) ''[[ComicStrip/DennisTheMenaceUK Dennis The Menace]]'' album has Dennis and Gnasher being chased out of a building after doing this.

* A similar variant occurs in ''ComicBook/SinestroCorpsWar''. The residents of Coast City tint all their lights green to show support to the ComicBook/{{Green Lantern}}s.

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%%* ''Film/FightClub''
* ''Film/NowYouSeeMe'' sees J. Daniel Atlas do a Seven of Diamonds on the John Hancock Center.
* At the end of ''Film/Ghostbusters2016'', [[spoiler: the entire New York skyline is lit up with "We '''♥''' GB" and similar messages, thanking the Ghostbusters for saving the city.]]

* One episode of ''Series/BarneyMiller'' has a call about a man on a ledge. It's quickly followed by a report that the man is writing on the windows. Barney asks "It's not a jumper?" Wojo replies "Unless it's a suicide note."
* An episode of ''Series/ArtAttack'' had Neil do this with the skyscrapers in New York City for the "Big Art Attack."

* An episode of the UK satire show ''Bremner, Bird and Fortune'' had a parody of "Feed the World" talking about everything wrong with modern (mid nineties) Britain. At one point the screen shows a dark skyscraper while the lyrics go "Where traffic moves real slow/While Railtrack's profits grow", and then on the following four chords, successive rows of windows light up to form a "£" sign.

** Similarly, in WesternAnimation/TheBatman the Riddler hijacks the skyscraper lighting in order to display his green question mark symbol across the city. After Riddler is defeated, Detective Yin changes the question marks into Batman's logo.
* In the episode of ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'' where Danny is dating Valerie, the two of them see building lights writing out "D+V" while riding a Ferris wheel. This was all set up by Technus as part of a plan.

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* One Chik-Fil-A ad has cows wandering through an office building, turning lights on and off (while late-working folk look up in wary confusion). At the end, the lights spell "Eat Mor Chikin" on the side of the building.

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* ''Film/FightClub''

* Taken UpToEleven in ''Anime/{{Gunbuster}}'' and ''Anime/DieBuster'', [[spoiler:where the entire ''planet'' is shut down then lit up to give our heroines a warm welcome back after ''ten thousand'' years.]]

** Taken to [[UpToEleven the next level]] by the Lotte World Tower in UsefulNotes/{{Seoul}} when they [[http://img.yonhapnews.co.kr/etc/inner/KR/2015/12/20/AKR20151220041500030_01_i.jpg decided to show a Santa made out of LEDs]].

This trope is easily doable in RealLife, but limited to special occasions because it's otherwise disruptive to the people in the offices and apartments. In the movies, the trope is often assisted by computer animation; it's easier than getting the permits/paying the money to use the building, etc.

* On ''Manga/DetectiveConan'', the Suspect Of the Week uses such a window lighting event to give himself an alibi to murder his victim.
** And in ''Manga/MagicKaito'', Kaitou arranged for a pair of skyscrapers to display a birthday message to Aoko once.

* ''Film/NowYouSeeMe'' does a Seven of Diamonds on the John Hancock Center.

* A similar variant occurs in ''ComicBook/GreenLantern''. The residents of Coast City tint all their lights green to show support to Green Lantern.

** Similarly, in WesternAnimation/TheBatman the Riddler hijacks the skyscraper lighting in order to display his green question mark symbol across the city.

Skyscrapers [[CaptainObvious are very tall and covered in windows]]. This makes them a useful canvas for a creative person to turn into a message an entire city (or the world) can see.

* A 1970s Comicbook/SpiderMan story has the Shocker doing this with whole city blocks as part of an extortion scheme. Unsurprisingly, a later story has [[PsychoElectro Electro]] doing the same thing.

* The University of UsefulNotes/{{Texas}} at Austin displays a "1" in the windows of the Main Building Tower to celebrate national championships. Other numbers are displayed to honor graduation and other events. ([[http://www.utexas.edu/about-ut/tower-lighting The University's page describing various lighting configurations is here.]])

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** Taken to [[UpToEleven the next level]] by the Lotte World Tower in UsefulNotes/{{Seoul}} when they [[http://m.yna.co.kr/kr/contents/?cid=AKR20151220041500030&mobile decided to show a Santa made out of LEDs]].

* Done for real in the city of Chicago for various events; most recently, as a countdown for the Olympic committee selecting who would be hosting the Summer Olympics in 2016. Regrettably, Chicago did not win.
* Taipei 101 does this for most holidays. e.g. A heart for Valentine's day, [=E=MC2=] for Einstein's birthday, an upside down "Spring" character for Chinese New Year[[note]]The New Year is traditionally considered the start of spring. As it happens, the Chinese word for "arrive" is a homophone for "upside-down"[[/note]], etc.

* The University of Texas at Austin displays a "1" in the windows of the Main Building Tower to celebrate national championships. Other numbers are displayed to honor graduation and other events. ([[http://www.utexas.edu/about-ut/tower-lighting The University's page describing various lighting configurations is here.]])

* A hotel in ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoViceCity'' will, in typical Rockstar North fashion, light up at night in the form of [[http://www.grandtheftwiki.com/File:WKChariot-GTAVC-VicePoint-penislight.jpg an erect penis]]. In ''GrandTheftAutoViceCityStories'', the same hotel shows the same thing, ejaculating.

** And in ''MagicKaito'', Kaitou arranged for a pair of skyscrapers to display a birthday message to Aoko once.

* In ''VideoGame/TheSecretWorld'', John does this on Orochi tower to get the player to enter. The tower flashes "Come on In".

* Taken UpToEleven in ''Anime/{{Gunbuster}}'' and ''Anime/DieBuster'', [[spoiler:where then entire ''planet'' is shut down then lit up to give our heroines a warm welcome back after ''ten thousand'' years.]]

* The music video for ''Black Eyed Peas'''s "Where Is The Love?" has lights spell out a question mark.

* In ''CityHunter'' at one point, the lights formed the katakana version of the woman's name and "daisuki" (I like you a lot/love you.)

* The original "AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs" video [[ZeroWing had one]].

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'' during "The Music Meister Sings The Song The World Wants To Hear", two skyscrapers behind him spell out the name of the villain.
** Similarly, in TheBatman the Riddler hijacks the skyscraper lighting in order to display his green question mark symbol across the city.

* On ''CaseClosed'', the Suspect Of the Week uses such a window lighting event to give himself an alibi to murder his victim.