Visual design is one of the most forward-facing aspects of advertising. It introduces your consumers to your product and brand. Art directors and graphic designers work hard to make the visual aspect of their ads communicate a brand’s message quickly and efficiently, without confusing or overwhelming the customer. There is a strategy behind every aspect of the visual design including the use of color. Since it’s likely the first thing a customer sees, a lot of thought goes into what colors are used and how a customer might react.
How Color Psychology Affects Ads and Brands
Color psychology is the process of using specific colors to stimulate emotions. Studies show that 90% of a consumer’s initial impression of your brand comes from the colors they see in your logos and ads. Using your logo’s colors throughout your advertising will make it more recognizable. According to Review 42, customer brand awareness rose 80% when ads contained a brand’s colors. Think of the iconic red and yellow of McDonald’s or the clean design of Nike’s black and white. Both color combinations stand out in our minds as belonging to those companies, and they bring up specific emotions when we see them in their advertising.
What do the Colors Mean?
Now that we’ve covered what colors can do for your ads, let’s go over the positive and negative emotions that are associated with specific colors, along with some examples.
- Red
- Positives: power, passion, energy, excitement, fearlessness,
- Negatives: anger, danger, warning, defiance, aggression, pain
- Blue
- Positives: trust, loyalty, dependability, logic, serenity, security
- Negatives: coldness, emotionless, unfriendly, unappetizing
- Yellow
- Positives: optimism, warmth, happiness, innovation, intellect, extroversion
- Negatives: irrationality, fear, caution, anxiety, frustration, cowardice
- Purple
- Positives: wisdom, wealth, spirituality, imagination, sophistication
- Negatives: reflection, decadence, suppression, excess, moodiness
- Green
- Positives: health, hope, freshness, nature, growth, prosperity
- Negatives: boredom, stagnation, envy, blandness, debilitation
- Orange
- Positives: courage, confidence, warmth, creativity
- Negatives: Deprivation, frustration, immaturity, ignorance, sluggishness
- Black
- Positives: sophistication, security, power, elegance, authority, substance
- Negatives: oppression, coldness, menace, heaviness, mourning
- White
- Positives: innocence, purity, cleanliness, simplicity, pristineness
- Negatives: sterile, empty, plain, distant.
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- Prudential is a financial firm providing insurance and investment services. The blue and white promotes trust, loyalty, and dependability, instilling customers with confidence.
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- Green promotes freshness and health, while yellow conveys optimism and happiness. They communicate what Subway offers: fresh, healthy food that makes you feel good.
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- McDonald’s red and yellow imparts hunger, happiness, and energy. This mix of emotions creates a feeling of warmth and quickness—both important in the fast food industry.
Using Color Psychology
Companies use color psychology to boost brand awareness and make an emotional connection between you and the company. It allows marketers to tell their consumers a story using only the most basic of visual design. A lot of thought goes into a brand’s colors, and it’s an effort that customers respond to, whether they realize it or not.
Want more advertising tips and tricks? Contact us! We’d be happy to help you find the right colors for your business.