5.2: Color

It is strange how deeply colours seem to penetrate one, like scent. –George Eliot

"Pexels" by Miguel Á. Padriñán is licensed under CC0 1.0

Color has long been associated with emotional states. When we’re mad, we’re “seeing red.” We can be green with envy. When we are sad, we say we are feeling blue. An evil or malicious person is said to be black-hearted. Because the association between a feeling and color can be strong, some wish to conclude that colors cause feelings, that color is somehow tied to affective states, or that color causes certain behavioral outcomes. Research does not bear this out, however. “There aren’t many clinical studies that prove the effectiveness of color psychology, and the ones that exist are somewhat inconclusive” (“How Do Colors”). No matter the color of a team’s jersey, skill levels (and testosterone levels) do not appear to be affected by color. If color were causal, it would be hard to explain how the color blue is associated both with sadness and with calmness, or how the color yellow is associated with happiness as well as with cowardice. “Elements such as personal preference, experiences, upbringing, cultural differences, context, etc., often muddy the effect individual colors have on us” (Karthikeyan and Joy 65). In short, different life and cultural experiences equal different color associations. “According to color-in-context theory, color effects are rooted in the repeated pairing of color and particular concepts, messages, and experiences, and in this way, the mere perception of the color may evoke meaning-consistent affect, cognition and behavior” (Kesong et al.).

If colors have no objective bearing on our psychological states, they certainly have power over our purchasing decisions! Just as colors are often associated with feelings, colors are very much associated with brands. Marketing and branding rely heavily upon color association. Try to imagine Coca-Cola or Target without seeing the color red, or the Barbie logo in a color other than hot pink. Is it even McDonald’s without the iconic golden arches? Just a hint of dark green gets me thinking about Starbucks! Most companies carefully consider color in their branding.

The IDealogic Brand Lab, a branding agency, states: “When it comes to choosing a brand’s color scheme, it’s critical that designers understand how each color will resonate with various target audiences. This can vary depending on the demographic or behavioral differences in consumers (“The Science of Color”).

IDealab features colors frequently used in marketing and “their influence:”

• Red – creates a sense of urgency, triggers powerful emotions, and encourages appetite. It is associated with movement, excitement, power, fearlessness, and passion.
• Blue – trust, loyalty, dependability, logic, security, and serenity. Provides a sense of security and stimulates productivity. It is also known to be the preferred color of men.
• Green – health, tranquility, growth, freshness, prosperity, hope, and nature. Used to promote environmental issues. Green can encourage balance and harmony.
• Purple – commonly associated with wisdom, wealth, spirituality, imagination, and sophistication.
• Yellow – cheerful color that promotes optimism, warmth, happiness, creativity, intellect, and extroversion. Can be used to create a sense of anxiety that can draw in impulsive buyers and window shoppers.
• Orange – creates a sense of courage, confidence, warmth, innovation, friendliness, and energy.
• Pink – imaginative, passionate, caring, creativity, innovative, quirky. Often associated with femininity.
• Black – associated with sophistication, security, power, elegance, authority, and substance. Often associated with luxury and power.
• White/Grey – innocence, purity, cleanliness, simplistic, pristine. Represents cleanliness and can provide a modern feel.

"Color Emotion Guide" by The Logo Company is used with permission.