The Use of Color in Advertising

Professional Communication

Jane Boyd

Colors and Emotions

• Simulates Nervous system

• Evokes emotional states

• Travels through eyes to brain– Releases hormones

Colors and business

• Meanings of colors are based on– Culture– Race– Gender– Age

– Example: White » US – wedding, innocence» China - Death

Colors and “branding”

• Companies use certain colors to “brand” their product.– Easy to remember– Easy to recognize

– IBM = Blue – UPS – Brown – Tide – Orange

Meaning of colors in Marketing (North American Culture)

• White – – Pure– Clean– Youthful

– Implies purity in clothing– Sterilization in the Medical field

Black

• Power

• Elegant

• Secretive

– Used to target high end marked or – Used in youth market to add mystery

Red

• Passion

• Excitement

• Danger

• Used to– Draw attention– Causes blood pressure and heart rate to rise– Used to inject excitement in product

Orange

• Vibrant

• Energy

• Play

• Adds fun to company

• Creates a playful environment for customers

Yellow

• Warm

• Happy

• Alert

• Attractor to business with a relaxed feeling

Green

• Natural

• Healthy

• Plentiful

• Creates calming affect and grow image

• Go Green.

Purple

• Wise

• Royalty

• Celebration

• Purple tones for premium service

Blue

• Loyal

• Peaceful

• Trustworthy

• Most popular color

• Neutral color on global scale

• Safe choice for building customer loyalty

Brown

• Healthy

• Natural

• Masculine

• Symbolizes home and hearth

• Reliable, trustworthy

Tips for using color

• Stay within the same color palette– Helps to identify and “brand” your product

• Keep it simple– No more than 3 colors– Be consistent

Color across the world

• Red– China: Good luck, celebration, summoning

– Cherokees: Success, triumph

– India: Purity

– South Africa: Color of mourning

– Russia: Bolsheviks and Communism

– Eastern: Worn by brides

– Western: Excitement, danger, love, passion, stop, Christmas (with green)

Orange

• Ireland: Religious (Protestants),

• Europe – Changing seasons

• Western: Halloween (with black), creativity, autumn

Yellow

• China: Nourishing

• Egypt: Color of mourning

• Japan: Courage

• India: Merchants

• Western: Hope, hazards, coward

Green

• China: Green hats indicate a man's wife is cheating on him, exorcism

• India: Islam

• Ireland: Symbol of the entire country

• Western: Spring, new birth, go, Healing. Natural

Blue• European : soothing, “something blue” is a bridal tradition – but

usually pale blue. Reliable.

• Cherokees : defeat, trouble.

• Iran : mourning.

• China : immortality.

• Middle East : protection.

• Worldwide : ’safe’ color.

Purple

• Thailand: Color of mourning (widows)

• Western: Royalty

White

• Japan: White carnation symbolizes death

• Eastern: Funerals

• Western: Brides, angels, good guys, hospitals, doctors, peace (white dove)

Black

• China: Color for young boys • Western: Funerals, death, Halloween (with orange),

bad guys, rebellion, Authority.