The Psychology of Color

In the November issue of Media Magazine the entire issues was dedicated to the use of color in media. The fact that I am writing this post in January tells you how far behind I am on my reading. None the less I feel this is an important topic to go over as I am quite sure that most businesses don't consider the psychological affects their color choices have on their consumers. It may not have been what you intended.

Douglas Quenqua has a great article on white and white space in particular. Some examples of brands that effectively used white in their campaigns were Apple, Gap and Ketel One. The article goes on to talk less about white as a color and more about it's use to highlight or draw attention to.

Next up was Red, the color of love and anger, of conviction and arrest, a paradox in many respects. The color Red is the origin of the term "Full-Bleed" as a result of a Leo Burnett campaign for the American Meat Institute in the 1940s. Red's ability to prompt a staunch visceral reaction at either end of the spectrum of emotion requires its use respectfully and with moderation.

What I found most intriguing was the creative power of Yellow, but in moderation. Long exposure to the color has been know to cause harsh effects on the body according to the author Laurie Sullivan.

Some of the other colors discussed are Blue, Green, Orange and Pink. I highly recommend giving the collection a read before choosing your company's color scheme.