Without food coloring cheese puffs would be grey. Grey is bland, boring, blah. You’d want to wash your fingers rather than lick the grey remnants. The food industry knows that color (as fake and artificial as it may be) matters. You should too.
Companies play on our psychological, emotional and cultural responses to color. We’re not always conscious of its affect, but it’s a powerful tool for conveying a feeling or desire.
McDonalds is red for a reason. Red is compulsive, stimulating, fast. Red can mean other things, but when used in the context of fast food red is hunger without satiation. You’re eating your McDonalds now and you’re going to want more.
Another persuasive color in the McDonald’s identity is yellow. Yellow is bright and attention grabbing. Those golden arches are the same color as warning signs. Both do the same thing. They make us stop and pay attention.
There’s a reason why color and food seem lumped together. Food, like color, plays on our most basic instincts. The riper the apple, the redder it is. We’re programmed to want colorful things. It’s easy to see the connection between stimulating, attractive colors and junk food.
However, even non-primary, dull colors like brown play on our psyche, if not our appetite. It may not be attached to many fast food logos, but brown is the color of UPS for a reason. Brown is associated with nature and feels trustworthy and dependable. Like an old log or leather jacket, brown has been around for a while and it’s not going to fail you. That package will arrive on time because the brown truck is delivering it.
Is there a color that should ever be avoided? Grey, if you’re going to be making cheese puffs. If you’re in a tech industry grey might be the perfect way to convey trust and security. It all depends on context. By understanding the influence of color, you’ll never be in the dark again. That is, unless you want show power. Black is the ultimate power color.
Here are links to websites that offer more tips on color theory:
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/01/28/color-theory-for-designers-part-1-the-meaning-of-color/
http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html
http://www.globalization-group.com/edge/resources/color-meanings-by-culture/
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