Contrary to the expression 'feeling blue,' the color communicates positive connotations in advertising.
The use of color to create visual impact in advertising is critical to an ad's success. Often, advertisers focus on the obvious benefit of using bright or vivid colors to draw the viewer's attention. However, applying the right color combinations to your advertising is not always as simple as picking bright colors. The study of colors in psychology helps advertisers use color in a profitable way in ad campaigns.
Red to Yellow
Color combinations involving red include light red, pink, dark red, brown and reddish-brown. The red colors are generally viewed as energetic and vivid, according to the website "Color Wheel Pro". Light red is often incorporated into sexually or sensually charged ads, while darker reds are more likely present in ads with a theme of anger. Orange is described by "Color Wheel Pro" as combining red's energy and yellow's happiness. Dark orange, red orange and gold are considered orange colors. Related to sunshine, yellow colors signify happiness, joy and intellect. Dull yellow is often used to convey sickness or envy, but lighter yellows deliver freshness and joy. Brown suggests stability and is associated with masculinity and reddish-brown is often used to depict fall harvest time.
Green
Shades of the color green commonly include dark green, yellow green, olive green, lime, leaf green, sea green, emerald and teal. Green is considered a non-threatening color in advertising, notes Karen Saunders of Duct Tape Marketing in her November 2008 article "Advertising and Color." Coinciding with the development of environment awareness in the late 20th century, the green movement has established the color as an earth-friendly and environmentally peaceful hue. Green signifies growth and prosperity.
Blue to Purple
Light blue and dark blue are vivid shades prominent in advertising. Additional colors in the blue-purple spectrum include sky blue, ultramarine, violet, purple and azure. Blue is generally a positive color in advertising, indicates "Color Wheel Pro", with associations of trust and loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intellect and truthfulness. Because heaven is typically connected to the color blue, it is often used in ads intended to convey faith and hope. Light and dark purple are said to evoke feelings that range from romantic to gloomy.
Black and White
Black and white are among the most obviously contrasting colors on the color wheel. Their psychological and emotional impacts in advertising are quite extreme from one another. White is usually used to depict innocence, purity and goodness in advertising. Black typically evokes sentiments of death, evil, mystery and power. Along with the psychological contrast of good and evil with black and white, black is said to serve as a generally effective visual contrast for most bright colors, according to "Color Wheel Pro". This attention getting contrast is important to draw ad readers into the message.
Global Color Considerations
Previous discussion of color meanings are specifically attributed to North American culture, but color interpretations are diverse from a global perspective, as international companies and marketers are aware. As a simple example, Pearson Education's Fact Monster website notes that in South Africa, red is perceived as a color of mourning, whereas red is seen as good luck in China, where it is a popular color choice for holiday and wedding celebrations. Research into the meanings of colors in a specific country or culture is essential before planning an advertising campaign.
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