Deer-O Paint (Closed)
Phoenix, AZ
Photo courtesy Elgin MacMillan

Here's an old closed business called the Deer-O Paint, located in Phoenix. It was still in operation in the early 90's and may have still been operating as the original Deer-O business. A few years ago it became a Salsa dance club. Today, the business is no longer in operation but it appears like someone is doing something inside - possibly getting it ready for a new business. Hopefully, it will be something that will keep the building and sign as original as possible. Many thanks to Elgin MacMillan for info.

The flowing script sign for Deer-O Paint was once a familiar sight along Phoenix’s neon-filled East Van Buren Street. Established during the 1950s, the company specialized in paint made to survive the relentless Arizona sun. It even maintained giant roadside test panels near Wickenburg and Apache Junction to prove the stuff could take the heat.

Deer-O Paint (Closed)
Phoenix, AZ
Photo courtesy Elgin MacMillan

After the paint company closed, the old warehouse spent time as a salsa dance club before beginning another colorful chapter as a creative studio space. Paint factory to dance floor to art studios. That is quite a journey for one Van Buren building.

UPDATE: I am 98% sure that the Deer-O sign read "Paint" or "Paints" at one time instead of "Salsa", since Deer O Paint is a brand that still exists. They did have a store in Phoenix and someone told me it was on Van Buren (the location of this sign pictured above). Many thanks to James Twardy for this info. 07-05

Deer-O sign Marquee
Phoenix, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

UPDATE: Deer-O Paint was a vibrant business in Phoenix, having started in the 1950's and was still going strong when I moved away from Phoenix in 1980. In those days, before latex paints were perfected (they were just coming about in the 60's), the Arizona climate was very rough on paint. Deer-O's marketing angle was that it was "climatically controlled," meaning it was formulated for the difficult Arizona weather conditions. Deer-O maintained two large testing panels that doubled as billboards, one on the highway to Wickenburg and the other just west of Apache Junction. Deer-O was marketed through hardware stores and directly to contractors, their principal emphasis.The company's primary advertising vehicle for many years was a 5-minute weather show on KTAR-TV (channel 12), in those days the NBC affiliate. The weatherman was Frank Peddie, for whom I wrote dozens of commercial scripts, which were delivered live in those pre-tape times. Many thanks to JIm Sullins for update on the Deer-O. 07-05

UPDATE: Here's another photo and close-up of the Deer-O sign from back in the early 2000's. It appeared during a recent drive-by that the building is advertising availbility for rent. 11-20

UPDATE: The warehouse now houses There Space, a collection of creative studios that includes Showtime Cafe. Best of all, the original Deer-O script sign was restored and once again glows at night. 09-26

Alamo Grocery
Phoenix, AZ
Photo courtesy Elgin MacMillan

The Alamo Grocery was the kind of little neighborhood market that once seemed to pop up every few blocks around Phoenix. Sitting somewhere along Van Buren Street, it served the surrounding neighborhood with everyday groceries and whatever else someone might need without making a trip to a sprawling supermarket. Pull up out front, grab a few things and be back home before the car had time to cool down.

These small mom-and-pop groceries were usually simple places, but each had its own personality. There might be a hand-painted sign out front, colorful advertisements covering the windows and a familiar person behind the counter who knew the regular customers. Kids could stop in for a cold soda or candy bar, while someone on the way home from work might pick up milk, bread and a few cans for dinner.

Alamo Grocery
Phoenix, AZ
Photo courtesy Elgin MacMillan

As supermarket chains expanded during the postwar years, many neighborhood groceries slowly disappeared. Their limited shelf space and family-sized operations could not always compete with acres of parking, endless aisles and weekly specials. Then the cycle repeated as giant retailers such as Walmart began putting pressure on those same supermarket chains. How things change along the roadside.

UPDATE: The exact address and current status of the Alamo Grocery have not been confirmed. Its old storefront and sign may be gone, but this photograph offers a look back at one of the many small businesses that once served the neighborhoods along Van Buren Street. 09-26

Dex Knows Billboard
Phoenix, AZ
Photo courtesy Elgin MacMillan

Here is a modern billboard for Dex Knows, but it's real eye-catching nonetheless. It appears to be a good trend - seems we're or should I say they're moving towards doing more 3D billboards. Lets hope the next wave of visual competition is a more space-age like neon look. Many thanks to Elgin MacMillan for info.

The Dex Knows Billboard brought a little extra dimension to the Phoenix roadside. Instead of settling for an ordinary flat advertisement, Dex added a three-dimensional character that appeared to climb right out of the sign. It was a clever way to catch the attention of motorists, even if they had no idea what business they needed to look up yet.

Dex Knows Billboard
Phoenix, AZ
Photo courtesy Elgin MacMillan

Dex Knows arrived during that curious period when the familiar printed Yellow Pages was trying to find a new life on the internet. The directory promised to help users track down local restaurants, plumbers and other businesses without flipping through hundreds of tissue-thin pages.

UPDATE: Like most billboard campaigns, this oversized Dex advertisement was temporary and has long since been replaced. Dex Knows was eventually absorbed into what became Thryv, while its three-dimensional Phoenix character disappeared with the changing roadside ads. 09-26