The Law of Color

Chapter 17 of The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding

This is another chapter on simple aesthetics of a brand, and possibly the most easily deceptive choices you could make. There are 5 basic colors; red, orange, yellow, green and blue plus the neutrals of black, white and gray. Interestingly, colors are not created equally. Colors on the red end of the spectrum are focused slightly behind the retina making those colors feel as if they are moving toward you. Blue colors are focused slightly in front of the retina, appearing to move away from you. That is why red is the color of energy and excitement, while blue is the opposite, peaceful and tranquil.

Other colors have been given attributes over time:

White | Purity
Black | Luxury
Blue | Leadership
Purple | Royalty
Green | Environment and Health

Picking a color for a brand should focus on the mood, positioning within your market (leaders will have the first choice) and opposing your major competitors(Kodak is yellow, so Fuji is green).

What I learned: The conistancy brought on by long term use of a color will help to burn its way into the mind. Just think about Caterpillar, UPS, Coca Cola and the jacket for the Masters golf tournament.

_gern

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