Are “Hue” Kidding? What Your Logo’s Colors Are Associated With

Colors, colors.. everywhere!

Few things are more instrumental to your brand’s identity than your logo design– especially its colors. Past aesthetics, color has the power to evoke emotions, drive action, and “color” our impressions of things. If your logo is the first introduction to your brand that potential customers have, it becomes even more vital to lock down your logo’s colors.

If you’re trying to strengthen brand recognition and solidify your company’s identity, your logo- and, the colors you choose- are some of your best friends:

Color increases brand recognition by 80% (Source: Surveycrest)

93% of consumers overwhelmingly choose products based off of their visual appearance (over texture and sound/smell). (Source: Surveycrest)

 

The associations behind the colors.

Past the commonly known psychological traits of colors, such as white representing cleanliness and red encouraging attention, there are several lesser known (and equally important) things being said by your logo’s color choices:

Red energetic passion & attention.

Ex: Red Bull, Coca Cola, Youtube.

1. Appetite Stimulant. There’s a reason so many restaurants utilize red- not only does red trigger stress-related eating, but it also increases respiration rate and enhances our metabolisms.
2. Efficiency-promoting and “quick”. (Think fast food restaurants)
3. In China, it’s a symbol of good luck.
4. Red is often associated with blood, risk, and emergency (hence why it’s typically not used in the medical & healing fields).
5. In competition-oriented fields (ex. Sports, Gaming), it’s associated with a higher probability of success.

(Source: Huffpost) https://www.huffpost.com/entry/weird-color-trivia_n_6509702

Players wearing red actually win more often. ( Source: Gamespot) https://www.gamespot.com/articles/report-red-players-win-more-often/1100-6234741/

Pink youthful innocence & sweet femininity.

Ex: Baskin Robbins, Barbie, Cosmopolitan.

1. Tones down the intensity of red, and replaces it with gentle, loving energy.
2. Considered the “palliative” color. Pink suppresses anger and evokes a calming response to stimuli.
3. Incredibly powerful calming effect that subdues violence and aggression.
4. Pink promotes immaturity and silliness. There’s a reason why we so closely associate pink with young girls and toys.

Yellow speed & cost-effectiveness (& anxiety).

Ex: Best Buy, McDonalds, Nikon.

1. In American slang, “yellow/yellow-bellied” is a common insult for cowardice. However, in Japan, it is the color of courage.
2. Yellow is the first color to be recognized visually, which is why it’s commonly associated with warning signs.
3. Yellow encourages communication, activates memory, and stimulates mental processes and the nervous system (Source: Sensational Color) https://www.sensationalcolor.com/color-meaning/color-meaning-symbolism-psychology/all-about-the-color-yellow-4297#.XMNIoM9KhTY
4. Yellow is psychologically the happiest color. (Think Smiley Faces)

Orange interest-invoking stimulation & joy-filled fun (& food).

Ex: Etsy, Mozilla Firefox, Fanta.

1. Orange elicits a stronger “love it” or “hate it” response than any other color (Source: Sensational Color)

https://www.sensationalcolor.com/color-meaning/color-meaning-symbolism-psychology/all-about-the-color-orange-4354#.XMNJ3s9KhTY

2. Commonly associated with “cheap” and “discount”. Very seldom associated with “high quality”. (Think clearance signs)
3. Subconsciously associated with good health. (Think Vitamin C)

Green dependable stability & growth.

Ex: BP, John Deere, Starbuck’s.

1. Depending on the context, green can either denote health or sickness (nausea).
2. Seen as favorable and positive. (Think green-means-go and green checks symbolizing “completed”)
3. Strongly associated with optimism and well-being.

Blue calmness & trust.

Ex: GE, HP, Facebook, Visa.

1. Blue is strongly associated with “service”. In ancient Rome, blue was worn by public servants. Today, law enforcement and service industries especially utilize blue in uniforms and logos.
2. Blue is widely considered the most liked color in the world, so it is frequently seen as “safe”.
3. Blue simultaneously encourages calmness while evoking higher productivity. (It’s easier to focus when you’re calm).

Purple luxurious dignity & powerful creativity.

Ex: FedEx, Hallmark, Syfy.

1. Purple is the hardest color for our eyes to distinguish.
2. Purple is associated with luxury and rarity due to its origins. The purple color is both expensive and time-consuming to make, plus it is incredibly rare to find in nature compared to other colors.
3. Purple is the most powerful visible wavelength- very close to gamma rays. Paranormal and supernatural subject matter is frequently associated with purple.
4. Purple is the color of mourning in several cultures, such as the U.K. and Italy.
5. Many psychologists claim that purple has the ability to balance the mind and quell fears.

White purity & safety & authority.

Ex: Cotton, Olay, Wikipedia.

1. White represents an equal balance of all the colors of the spectrum, hence why it is frequently associated with fairness and peace.
2. Overwhelmingly associated with virginity, innocence, light, heaven, understanding, sterility, protection, perfection, and softness.
3. White can symbolize impersonal, sterile coldness as well as numbing disinterest. With little stimulation for the senses, white is often used to represent a “blank slate”.
4. White heavily symbolizes “new beginnings”.
5. Too much of this color in particular causes headaches. (Think blinding light).

Black sophistication & power.

Ex: Adidas, Chanel, Sony.

1. Black is universally considered one of the colors that most strongly represents ‘grief’.
2. While black is strongly associated with power, strength, and sophistication, it also has strong associations with fear, death, aggression, and mystery.
3. Black is linked to confidence and elegance. (Think black suits and little black dresses.)
4. Used in excess, black elicits feelings of emptiness, gloom, and sadness.

Brown reliability & wholesomeness.

Ex: UPS, M&Ms, A&W.

1. Brown is powerfully linked to stability due to its frequent occurrence in all aspects of nature.
2. Brown represents everything from dullness to steadfast dependability.
3. One of the lesser-attractive aspects of the color brown is its similarity to feces and sources of waste.

Gray tradition & neutrality.

Ex: Nissan, Forbes, Wikipedia.

1. Gray is overwhelmingly more neutral and negative in meaning than positive.
2. While gray is a cool, balanced color, it is strongly associated with loss and unsettling, ‘empty’ feelings.
3. On the plus side, gray- especially used in conjunction with a powerful color- can evoke timelessness and practicality.

Attention to detail is part of who we are at Fusion Group USA.

With so many psychological aspects behind color choice and design, crafting an effective logo that accurately (and positively) represents your business is essential to standing out from your competition.

Fusion Group USA will help you create the most powerful logo for your brand. Contact us today.