Color Talks — and Shouts, and Whispers and Always Tells the Truth

JoAnn Penfield
612-486-9603
The content for this article was gleaned and paraphrased from a fantastic book from the Pantone Color Institute, “Pantone Guide to Communicating with Color” by Leatrice Eiseman.

Introduction
Color is the most instantaneous non-verbal method of conveying messages and meanings. In our distant past, humans relied on color queues to help them identity necessary objects or warning signals. For instance, most things yellow with black stripes can sting. We can be reminded of another place or time with a color scheme from that era. Think of the browns and golds used in the 70’s.

We respond emotionally and physically to color. Much of our reaction to color is subliminal, and we are usually not aware of the persuasive effects of color. The psychological effect of color is instantaneous. An example of the marketing power of color is in the supermarket. As we shop, our eyes rest on a package for approximately .03 seconds (a blink of an eye). In that short time, the package must attract and inform us of the contents and present their product in an appealing way. The package must visually express the value of the goods, and if something is more expensive than a competitor, color will convey that it is worth the extra cost.

Color can even convey a “wish fulfillment” of a product. If something is sweet, use pinks, peach, cream and lavender. A promise of cool refreshment is conveyed by icy blue, green or blue green. Each color family conveys specific moods and associations, so careful choice of color is critical in creating a company image or marketing a product.
Roberts & more use a variety of very clear bright colors to convey a message that they are upbeat, hopeful, vibrant and contemporary. By using many different colors for the logo, Roberts & more also sends a message that they are versatile, quick and whimsical.

The intention of marketing communication is to persuade the public to become customers, and inform and sway public opinion. To convey a memorable and meaningful marketing message, the consistent and proper use of color psychology is imperative.

Color Memory — Looking Through Rose-colored Glasses
The colors we see are directly linked by what we feel. From early infancy when our eyes were first seeing color, we start to form feelings associated when them. This association carries throughout our adult life. Some experts believe that humans have an “ancient wisdom” that has developed through evolutionary history and that we have an associative memory concerning space, form, patterns and colors.

Infants as young as two months prefer colorful objects to non-color. It is true that they are often attracted to black and white, but that is because they see extreme contrasts before they see color. Eye-tracking studies that record infant’s attention span indicate that they prefer blue and red. As children grow older, exposure and learning patterns to what colors adults say is appropriate affects their preferences.

Childhood memories are so involved with color that they are permanently stamped on our psyches. We may not remember the colors associate with a specific event, but the tape recorders in our head is always on, and we will respond to specific colors in a positive or negative way.

For young teenagers, using the “in” colors is very important because it gives them status and peer recognition that is critical. Color is also a great way to be outrageous. Blue hair makes a statement of rebellion and attracts attention. This age group is intensely trend-driven, and aware of cutting edge color trends. When marketing to this sector, it is important to be very aware of emerging color trends.

As we age, our personal taste and preferences develop and trend colors can become bit less important. The psychology of specific colors becomes very influential as well as our personal associated color memory.

Our cultural background influences our learned response to color. Indian mystics believe green is a color that brings great harmony. Feng Shui teaches that each area in a house corresponds to a specific color and using the correct colors will affect a person positively. In the American southwest, the Latin population has driven chili reds into popularity. People living nearer the equator tend to prefer brighter colors. Red, white and blue is as American as apple pie. Darkening any color gives the hue more “power” and deep navy blue is the most serious. Many corporations use deepened colors to convey a sense of strength.

American color preferences and sensitivities are being exported throughout the world via television, films, internet and the music industry. With shrinking cultural barriers there is a greater homogenization of color. Historically, the Chinese culture associated white with mourning. Currently white is being used in t-shirts, wedding gowns and even on airplanes. The change in attitude is especially true in younger people who are less bound to tradition. Out of this cross-cultural exchange, a new collective universal color consciousness is emerging.

There are some cross-cultural generalities that can be made about our response to colors. Red always provokes attention. In every spoken language, it is the first color named after black and white. The psychological association to red goes back to human beginnings, it is associated with blood and fire. These represent things that are dangerous, so it was very important to pay attention to red. It triggered a “fight or flight” response. As human have developed through the ages, we have become imprinted with reactions to color. We may not necessarily flee from the color red, but we certainly pay attention to it.

Color Physiology — Seeing Is Believing
Our reaction to color is mostly inborn. Our eyes respond to waves of energy called light waves. Specific wavelengths are called the visible spectrum and we can actually see these. Ultraviolet and infrared waves are invisible to us but just as prevalent in the world. The hue of a color is created but the length of the wave and the luminance (lightness or darkness) is determined by the quantity of the energy in the wave.

The perception of color is determined by the wavelengths that bounce back into our retina. The rods and cones in the retina respond to the light waves and send a signal to the visual center of the brain, which then translates it into color.

Each color is a specific wavelength. These various lengths are placed in order from shortest to longest and form the spectral order (rainbow). The top or longest arch in a rainbow is always red, then orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and the shortest is violet.

Visual information in the form of light waves is constantly reaching our retina and forming an image in our visual cortex. It is difficult to draw a clear distinction between the function of the eye and the interpretation of the brain. As a result, we can never really separate what we “see’ from what we “know”. Also, not all of the visual signals from the eye go to the brain. About 20% go to the pituitary gland and causes a physical response. Red creates the strongest response.

We see warm colors before cool colors so warm colors seem to advance while cool colors recede. Saturation (strength of the hue) also makes a difference. Highly saturated colors appear closer than colors with low saturation.

The eye is stimulated by novelty. Unique or “new” color combinations create instant attention. Iridescence, pearlescence and metallic finishes are especially attention getting as the eye is fascinated by multi-colored effects.

Color Response — Going Beyond Your “Favorite Color”
There are charts that tell you what colors “mean” in a few simple words. Red means blood or energy, yellow is happy and blue is loyal (true blue). Many corporate identities have been designed around these trite meanings. Corporate managers have been spewing this kind of color theory for years as though they were carved in stone a few thousand years ago. The reality is predicting color response can be very complicated. The more a company knows about the target audience is, the easier it is to tailor a response.

To make something exciting or interesting, it seems logical to color it red. But if you are creating a product for today’s teenagers, electric green, orange or yellow are better choices. These colors have been adopted by sportswear manufacturers and are perceived as active, exciting and “cool”. Don’t forget the message of your marketing materials. A flyer bearing bad news about lower mutual fund returns may make people “see red”, but it would be easier to accept if the message was presented in deep blue.

Here’s a generalization and overview to human responses to colors:

When you see red, a chemical message is sent to your adrenal medulla and releases the hormone epinephrine. This alters your body chemistry causing you to breathe faster, increases your blood pressure, pulse rate, heartbeat and your flow of adrenaline and GSR (Galvanic Skin Response – medical lingo for perspiration and the basis of the lie detector test). These reactions are physical and we have no control over the effect. Because of this physical response, red is permanently imprinted in our minds to connect with excitement and high energy.

Warm tones are high arousal colors, and red creates the strongest arousal threshold. Everyone knows that red negligees and sports cars are stimulating. It’s true that red literally turns you on. Red is sexy, provocative, dynamic, passionate, aggressive and demands your attention. It is statistically true that warm yellow-red cars get more speeding tickets and are most often involved with traffic accidents.

A car in a cool blue-red like burgundy doesn’t share the same fate. When red tones are deepened to shades of burgundy, they still retain the excitement of red, but are more subdued. We respond to these wine tones as rich, refined, opulent, mature and more elegant than vivid red. Burgundy is a good choice for expensive products like automobiles.

Depending on its value or intensity, pink has a wide range of moods. Being “in the pink” is a clever way to saying you are feeling quite positive and healthy. Pink gives our skin a rosy glow and make it look better. This makes pink an excellent choice for health care and cosmetic products. Salons and spas would do well using pink.
But beware of pink’s mood swings. Vivid, shocking hot pinks share the same energy and spirit as red. They are energetic, fun and youthful and create a sense of movement and wild abandon. Don’t count on these vivid pinks to age well. They are also perceived as faddish, trendy, tacky and plastic. Bubble gum pink looks immature and artificial. Magenta and fuchsia pinks that lean to red or purple are perceived as more “grown-up”. They are both sensual and theatrical.

Lighter, less saturated pinks are really watered down red. The intensity and raw sensuality of red is removed leaving romanticism. These pinks are seen as primarily tender and feminine. Dusty pinks and mauves are viewed as soft subtle and sentimental. A man who wants to appear as warm and approachable to women would do well wearing a soft pink shirt accented with a rich blue jacket (he’s stable and approachable, who could resist that).

Pink has a definite flavor associated with it. Pink is sweet tasting and smelling. A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

Temperature-wise, orange is the hottest color. It is usually associated with autumn leaves and glowing sunsets. When orange is the most vivid it is perceived as a color that shouldn’t be taken too seriously. It is extroverted, playful, gregarious, happy and childlike. It is often associated with products that are discounted and cheap. Children between the ages three to six and adolescents are particularly drawn to bright orange. Orange retains some of the energy and drama of red, but is tempered by the cheerful good humor of yellow.

The most frequent negative response to bright orange is that it’s too loud. It’s the most disliked color. But, because of neon oranges high visibility, it is an excellent color for point of purchase and some direct mail.

Not all tones of orange are loud and/or cheap and it is a very dated concept to believe that they are. Orange radiates warmth and vitality and is essential in many “ethnic” themes. Think of Mexican salsa red-orange and Indian curries.

Orange does have a measurable effect on our automatic nervous system – it makes us hungry. Taste-wise it is connected to the sweet tang of citrus juice. Which came first, the color orange or the fruit? Fast food restaurants use warm colors of red, yellow and orange to entice people to come in to satisfy their just stirred appetite.

Research shows that the lighter shades of orange (peach, apricot, coral and melon) have the most pleasant word associations. They’re nurturing, approachable, tactile colors —velvety peach and delicious melon, healthy and flattering to most skin tones. Soft oranges are sophisticated and very eye appealing to the upscale affluent market.

In every culture, yellow is equated with the dazzling heat of the sun. Yellow radiates sunshine, light and warmth. It is associated with imagination and enlightenment.
Light yellows are cheerful, mellow and soft to the touch. Bright daffodil yellow is equally cheerful and more energetic and eye catching than paler yellows. Unlike other hues, yellow becomes brighter when fully saturated.

The eye can see yellow before any other color. The combination of yellow and black are the hardest to ignore. This combination is the color of stinging insects and other exotic or scary creatures. We are hard wired to pay attention to this combination. Because of this, yellow and black is used on highway signage. Black letters on a yellow background is the easiest to read, even more than black on white. A yellow and black marketing piece, direct mail or point of sale design is very powerful. It’s industrial strength, but user friendly.

Some yellows can be described as tasty banana cream, lemon custard or citrusy sweet. The American consumer prefers yellows that are creamy and very warm or sun baked rather than the yellow-green shades. However all shades of yellow are acceptable in Asia, especially the yellow-greens. The close yellow is to green, the more it is associated with tart acid taste.

Down to earth, stable and homey it is often preferred during cost-conscious periods in history. The recession of the 1970’s was colored by brown, tan and gold.
More than any other color, brown must be thought of in terms of its use and context.
Brick, tan, clay and terracotta are rooted, protective and secure because their connection to the earth. Less saturated dull browns can be perceived as dirty or muddy making them problematic for the fashion industry. Overall, brown is thought of as a positive color.

Because of the popularity of coffee, espresso and rich leathers in recent years, brown has become stylish to use in home interiors. We feel secure in a brown interior; it becomes our very safe cave.

In the past, brown was thought of as low class and acceptable for only country or casual looks and in utilitarian products. Today the positive connotation to wholesome organic foods like brown rice and brown breads has made it very popular color. In marketing materials, some designers have replaced black with brown, calling it the “new neutral”. Today, brown is connected to good taste. Photos tinted in sepia tones are considered very elegant and historical. Today’s elegant browns are rich and often tinted either cool or warm.

It’s almost everybody’s favorite color. It’s dependable, constant, quiet and cool. The ocean and the sky are constant. They will be there tomorrow, next year and the next millennium. Because of this association, blue is seen as trustworthy, committed and confident. You can count on blue. This makes it a wonderful color for websites and virtual communications. It adds the stability factor needed to convey a product or service without someone being able to actually see and touch it. Banks and financial intuitions often use blue to create an image of stability and trustworthiness.

Blue is also restful. In a blue environment we tend to feel calm. There is evidence that when blue enters our line of sight, the brain sends out a chemical signal that work as a tranquilizer. Hospitals often use blue in their operating rooms and surgeons and nurses wear blue scrubs. It is an excellent color for any medical service or product.

Deep blue is very serious. The closer it moves to black, the more powerful it becomes. The instant authority it projects is why deep blue is used for uniforms for police officers and airline pilots. A page with over-abundant black can look ominous, but navy is more friendly and approachable.

Don’t count on blue as always being serene and sedate. Brilliant, electric blues are dynamic and dramatic. By changing the hue of the blue to periwinkle or teal the effect is greatly altered. Periwinkles move towards purple and are playful and feminine. Teals, having green undertones, are rich and upscale. Teal is the least gender-specific color, having equal appeal to both men and women. Use this color for next year’s corporate picnic t-shirts. Light aqua has been touted as “the modern” color for 2004 according to several color forecasters.

Of all the colors in the spectrum, green offers the widest array of choices. Blue-green has the best qualities of the two main colors in the world and they always elicit pleasant responses. Blue-green isn’t as cool as one might think. It is the color of the Caribbean Sea. Personal hygiene and beauty products often use blue-greens or aqua colors because they are flattering to every skin color.

Green can be used as a neutral color. Leaves and foliage never clash with the colors of the flowers – red roses, yellow daffodils, purple crocuses, bluebells and marigolds all look great in their frame of green.

Most people think of green as nature. Bright green is grass and buds, mint green is cool and refreshing while deep greens are pine trees and emeralds. Vegetable greens like celery and spinach work very well in food packaging, especially for “healthy” foods. Sea foam green is non-invasive and calming.

Deep and grayed greens are the color of money. People feel secure with these colors. Just as blue is linked with trustworthiness, so are these shades of green. Use green to promote financial institutions and where businesses need to project an image of prestige and security.

Yellow-greens can be thought of as a gardening color, but often people connote illness and nausea with these colors. Yellow greens should never be used in healthcare, dining areas or boat and airplane interiors. But kids and adolescents love brilliant yellow-greens. It’s attention getting and “fashion-forward”. The best way to get attention and capture someone’s eye is to put something unexpected or out of context in yellow-green. Imagine a chartreuse puppy dog.

Olive green alone doesn’t rate well with most people. But combine it in an interesting, complex way and it will appeal to an up-scale buyer. If you need to name this tone of color, avoid “olive” and “avocado” at all costs. Call it “Verdant Moss” or “Lemon Sage”.

Glorious and complex, purple often appeals to creative and eccentric types. It can be mysterious, contemplative or regal, mostly depending on the background and heritage of the viewer. Europeans are more comfortable with purple than Americans as a whole.

Purple is something of an enigma. It is both spiritual and sensual; being exciting and sexy or tranquil and reflective. Use purple with great care. The reddish purples have some of the excitement of red and the blue-purples are more regal and calm from the blue tone. Red or blue toned purple can be a substitute for red or blue when using clear red or blue seems too predictable or trite.

Radiant purples often suggest a New Age philosophy. Lavender is sweet and floral, and grape is fruity. Deeper royal purples are majestic and rich. Adding a gray tone to purple helps the color seem more conservative, sophisticated and respectable. Soft and light purples can be sentimental and nostalgic – think of “little old ladies” purple. The fashion industry is using purple for both men and women’s clothing and accessories.

The achromatic colors of beige, gray and taupe impart a message of dependability and durability. The Pyramids are beige, Greek and Roman temples are light gray, and old photos are sepia toned. These are the colors to use when depicting permanence, quality and dependable performance.

Neutrals are “safe” and they won’t date a product because they are always in style. The nuances of the tones in a neutral can dramatically shift the temperature of the hue and change the psychological impact. For example: a warm gray is never as serious as a calm, collected cool gray. A warm sandy beige is friendlier than a cool white.

Light to medium grays are the most non-committal being the most neutral of the neutrals. They don’t complete with other colors. As grays approach black, they start to take on blacks power and presence. But they aren’t a threatening or overpowering as a total black can be. Silvery grays can look futuristic and techno.

Pure and simple, white is considered a brilliant color to the human eye. We tend to think of white as the absence of color when printed. But in terms to light waves, white light contains all the colors of the spectrum. White can be used to create eye-stopping contrast with other colors.

Clear, pure white is absolute minimalism and is the “clean slate” against which other colors may contrast. It can appear stark and cold. It also imbues a sense of clarity and cleanliness, which is good for hygiene and health products.

Off-whites are a bit friendlier, especially when skewed to the warm side. Creamy white is delicious, and vanilla suggests light pleasant scents and tastes.

Magical, mysterious, powerful black is seen in every product line as the most sophisticated and highly stylized. In recent years, attitudes about black have changed more than any other color with positive associations outweighing the negative. The somber association with black has given way to sophistication as more people identity black with limos, polished granite and expensive leather.

Too much black might be ominous and foreboding without some other color for relief. But black does give the message of strength where ever it is used. Black “weighs” more than the other colors psychologically. It wouldn’t be a good color for an airplane or boat, but it works well on a car or truck that needs to be firmly on the ground.

Black is the extreme opposite of white, making the two colors a perfect marriage. Black and white is the most classic combination of strength and clarity, power and purity.

So what colors should we use?
Color trends and predictions are exceedingly fickle. We can look back and clearly see the colors used in the previous decades. In the past, color trends took a while to trickle down from one industry to another, so trends stayed longer. With today’s rapid access to information, color trends sweep through multiple industries seemingly overnight.

Quickly dispersed and short-lived items are more likely to change with each new trend. Fashion products are updated every season, and their colors have a strong impact on color trends. New cars are introduced every year, and those colors don’t tend to change dramatically except for the few that are designed for specific target markets. Home décor evolves from trend to trend without sharp divisions. Corporate identities should not be as motivated by the latest trend color, but literature that is changed quarterly or even annually can take advantage of the trends.

See 2007 - 2008 Trend Colors