Colour Theory in Advertisements and Brands

How many brands that are being advertised are we exposed to per day?

100, 500? No, actually about 4,000-10,000 Advertisements!

How are these Advertisements really different from each other? There are many factors but one of the primary ones is colour!

You may think that you have a single favourite colour but in fact you probably have several: your preferred colour will always depend on a specific situation. Colour interpretation is absolutely dependent on personal experiences. However, there has been extensive research on how colour can persuade and affect consumers in several ways.

When choosing brand colours, it’s important to consider brand personality based on what colour suits the characteristics of your product/company. To better decipher brand personality, consider these five dimensions people consistently react to brand identities. Most brands fall into one trait, but some have a crossover.

Let’s say, you visit a new bank in which you’re thinking of entrusting your hard-earned savings to. You later find out that the building is decorated in soft pastel yellows and pinks. Does your gut instinct say go ahead with opening an account or do you feel a little uneasy by the soft decor?

I'm going to break down some traits of the basic 10 colours:

BLUE: It is often used to depict trust, expertise, and strength Blue is also said to suppress appetite, so it is rarely advertised along with food companies. Light blue tends to mean peace and serenity. Dark blue is related to authority, conservativeness, confidence, and tradition. Often used by financial institutions and medical companies.

Example: IBM, American Express, Standard Chartered, etc.

ORANGE: It indicates efficiency and speed. Next time you are in a grocery store, notice the colours of laundry detergents. Many are orange and blue – blue, in this case, symbolizes cleanliness and orange captures a dynamic energy which communicates industrial strength and cleaning power.

Blue and orange are also opposites on the colour wheel and therefore can be an aesthetically pleasing pair.

Example: Tide, Mr. Muscle Cleaner, etc.

PINK: It has long been associated with the colour of happiness. Viewed as a light-hearted and feminine colour. It represents youth, sensuality and hope.

It has been used in prison cells to reduce erratic behaviour and stimulate energy.

Example: Nykaa, Cosmopolitan magazine, Victoria's Secret, etc.

YELLOW: This colour produces a warming effect, stimulates mental activity, and generates muscle energy. The human eye processes yellow immediately, which is why it is used for cautionary purposes.

If wrongly used, can stimulate strain eyes and cause eye fatigue. Especially on websites, it can evoke a hostile feeling.

It is used with the colour red to persuade the feeling of hunger, like, McDonald's, Burger King, etc.

Example: DHL, Ikea, Chupa Chups, Nikon, etc.

GREEN: It symbolizes health, nature, productivity, and relaxation. It is commonly associated with health products and the environmentally conscious. Moreover, it is said to be the most calming shade to the human eye.

Example: Whole Foods, Tropicana, Animal Planet, etc.

PURPLE: It's got the snazzy and daring edge on navy. Purple is associated with luxury, royalty, dreams, mystery and elegance. Light shades of purple are soothing and work well for beauty orientated advertising.

Example: Tarte makeup products, Yahoo, Taco Bell, etc.

WHITE: It involves a sense of spaciousness and clarity. Often used by home décor companies.

GREY: It is the perfect neutral shade to work with in graphics, as it has a lesser reflection than white. Seen as sleek, high end and gives a feeling of stability. BLACK: Organisations which want to portray themselves as completely trustworthy and serious, such as legal firms, may opt for black and white designs in their marketing materials.

Examples: Dior, Blackberry, Audi, Sony, etc.

RED: It is associated with passion and love but its strong intensity also signifies excitement, determination and courage.

Examples: Coca Cola, YouTube, Netflix, ESPN, etc.

BROWN: It is rarely seen as an exciting colour. However it is associated with nature and is seen as relaxing and casual. Advertising for niche markets where brown is a dominant colour such as coffee and chocolate manufacturers, and pet services.

Examples: Hershey, Gloria Jean's Coffee, Godiva, Nespresso, etc.

Correctly harnessing the psychology of colour in advertising is a very powerful tool! Comment down below what colour will be your personal brand?