Live Colorful | Color has really inspired us this week – its impact on the human brain and consequently, its impact on advertising. The mind has certain responses to certain colors, most of them subconscious. Some of them we’ve been trained to respond in a certain way by cultural norms. Either way, marketers use this information to evoke a certain mood or voice from their brand. Let’s take a look at similarities and differences among them.

Red

McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, CNN, YouTube, Target. Red inspires action. That could be why it is the trademark color of retailers such as McDonald’s, Coke and Target. “Buy the burgers! Drink the soda! Purchase all of our super cute clothes!” However, this color also evokes things such as energy, confidence, protection and boldness. CNN prides itself on providing accurate, timely news, thus offering a form of protection. YouTube can be a source of energy and boldness – the freedom to log (almost) anything you want through video and the perfect platform to let out all your crazy ideas.

Blue

Walmart, Twitter, Visa, Gap. On the outside, these look like very different companies, but they all offer the same thing: reliability. That’s what blue projects, along with trustworthiness and productivity. You can trust that Walmart has the lowest prices. Twitter promises to help you be productive in the way you interact with others. Visa guarantees that they’ll protect your finances and be there when you need them. Gap is known for having quality, reliable clothing options. Blue is a very effective color when it comes to marketing.

Yellow

Snapchat, Cheerios, Juicy Fruit. This is a less common color in logos, but it’s meant to evoke happiness, stimulate the mental process and activates memory. Snapchat is a key example of this – not only does it represent itself as a fun-loving, good time brand, but the logo activates your memory to remember the 3-second snap someone just sent you. Cheerios also plays off happiness with its cheerful bee mascot. Juicy Fruit is another brand that shows fun and carefree attitudes.

These colors and many more can help you create an effective ad campaign based on your goals and target market. What emotion are you trying to elicit? How do you want people to remember your name? Color is one easy way to help you achieve these goals.

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