Color Psychology of Branding and Logos

A logo becomes the face of a company and a recognizable symbol of a brand. Think of some of the world’s most popular brands like Starbucks, McDonald’s and luxury brands like Chanel. Some companies spend millions in order to ensure their logo is spot on and speaks to their audience with thought going into the design, especially the colors. Colors can convey different things on a subconscious level:

 

YELLOW

Positivity, high energy, fun, joy and happiness can all be conveyed using the color yellow. Stimulating creativity, yellow can pack a strong punch.

 

ORANGE

When designing a call-to-action button, you want it to be attention-grabbing and prominent. This is why many companies decide to use the color orange to create excitement and entice consumers to click or buy.

 

RED

Red is associated with urgency and confidence. This is why you often see fast food restaurants having logos that are primarily red with yellow accents. In fact, red can even increase your appetite.

Red can also convey boldness as well as invoke other feelings when combined with another color. For instance, red paired with pink says romance, while red paired with black says danger and performance.

 

PINK & MAGENTA

When you think of girls and girl-intended brands, you think about the color pink. Sweet, youthful and feminine, pink is romantic.

 

PURPLE

Purple has been associated with royalty in the past and is often thought of as a luxury color. Think about beauty products and anti-aging lines–more times than not, they will incorporate a shade of purple in the branding.

BLUE

The most common color used in branding, blue is thought of as loyal, secure and honest. It can also inspire calmness and serenity as in blue waters.
Across all industries, many large, well-known brands include the use of blue including American Express, Hewlett Packard and health goods companies like Oral-B and Crest. Even automakers including BMW, Ford and Volvo incorporate the use of the color blue.

 

GREEN

When you see green, you think fresh, natural and healthy. When paired with blue and brown, many think of Earth and nature–invoking a relaxing feeling. Green can also signify growth and success.

 

BLACK & GREY

Black is another color that is used to market luxury goods and to suggest a sense of power. Black can be dramatic, and other shades such as grey are seen as more conservative. Silver, on the other hand, is used by many high tech companies such as Apple.

Is it time to have a world-class logomark and branding system designed for your company? Get in touch with us, and we’ll have you looking like a Fortune 500 in no time.