Citizen's VIVID series is a family of COB LEDs tuned to make merchandise look its best: brighter whites and more saturated colours than a standard COB at the same colour temperature. We introduced the range in January 2015 for shop, showroom and display lighting, where the way products look under the light directly affects sales.
What makes a COB "vivid"
Citizen selected the LED dies from specific bins and tuned the phosphor to shape the spectrum for these COBs. The aim is chroma, how saturated colours appear, rather than only a high CRI number. A spectrum with more energy in the right places makes reds, greens and whites read as cleaner and richer, which is why lighting designers often reach for this kind of source on fashion, food and cosmetics displays.
Four light colours
- White brings out clean whites and shows all colours vividly (Ra 94).
- Warm gives a warm atmosphere while keeping colours vivid (Ra 95).
- Warm Plus recreates the feel of an incandescent lamp (Ra 95).
- Light Pink emphasises reds while keeping whites attractive (Ra 65).
The low Ra of Light Pink is deliberate: it trades general colour fidelity for a stronger red, so it belongs on specific displays rather than general lighting.
The 2015 range in figures
Values as published by Citizen at launch, at a case temperature of 25 °C:
| Package | Current | Voltage | Power | White | Warm | Warm Plus | Light Pink |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLU024-1204B8 | 360 mA | 35.7 V | 12.9 W | 1329 lm | 1250 lm | 1225 lm | 787 lm |
| CLU034-1206B8 | 540 mA | 35.7 V | 19.3 W | 2142 lm | 2011 lm | 1971 lm | 1302 lm |
| CLU034-1208B8 | 720 mA | 35.7 V | 25.7 W | 2765 lm | 2598 lm | 2546 lm | 1665 lm |
| CLU044-1212B8 | 1080 mA | 35.7 V | 38.6 W | 4289 lm | 4030 lm | 3948 lm | 2632 lm |
| CLU044-1812B8 | 1080 mA | 53.5 V | 57.8 W | 6262 lm | 5884 lm | 5763 lm | 3682 lm |
Efficacy ran from 103 to 111 lm/W for the White version, and 61 to 68 lm/W for Light Pink. Citizen also published a VIVID selection simulator to help pick the right part for a given output.
VIVID today
Citizen has since moved the VIVID range onto newer packages and still develops the line under the CITILED VIVID name, now with Brilliant and Natural types for spotlights and interiors, plus high intensity COB and SMD versions.
If you are lighting a store or showroom and want to compare a VIVID type source with a standard high-CRI one, look at the track fixtures we supply or ask us to put samples side by side on your merchandise.