What is Colour?
In the seventeenth century, Isaac Newton experimented with prisms, light and colour. Up until that
point, people had thought that a prism was able to add colour to light passing
through it, but Newton showed that in fact, prisms break down white light waves
into separate waves of varying length, the longest wavelengths being perceived
by us as the colour red, and the shortest as violet.
Newton proved that light is
made up of various colours that can be divided, by projecting red, orange,
yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet lights back through a prism to
illustrate that they then merged and turned into white light, thus proving to
skeptics that his theory was correct.
On a
fundamental level, then, Newton had recognized that light consists of
electromagnetic waves from a light source, such as a candle or the sun, and
that these waves are varying lengths. They are the only ones visible to the
human eyes, and we now know they are sandwiched between infrared rays, gamma
and X-rays on one side, and ultraviolet and radio waves on the other.
Trivia Break: Did you know that butterflies can
see ultraviolet (and humans can’t)? UV light apparently is useful for a
butterfly’s navigation.
Colour Theory
Advertising your Product
What is
colour theory? It is about the application of colour: the effect of colours on
different audiences and age groups, and on various cultural groups. It is even
about the effects of colour in certain decades, for colour can reflect the mood
of the times. Colour choices are important to consider with regard to your
brand. To help with that, we have useful tools such as the colour wheel, which
shows primary, secondary and tertiary colours. The wheel can be useful for
viewing complementary colours: each colour’s complementary colour is opposite
in placement on the wheel; for example, yellow’s complementary colour is
violet.
Advertising is
all about aesthetics and attraction. Whatever your product or service is, the
sole purpose of advertising is to attract consumers. A successful campaign
includes effective branding, and colour is an important element of your image.
What is your product? An educational service like language classes? A
family-oriented product such as insurance? Is it a collection of gifts, food
items, teen fashions, reading materials, electronics, vehicles? Products and
services can be reflected in the colours used in branding and marketing.
Various colour schemes relay specific messages, depending on variables such as
combination, hue saturation, quantity and placement.
Colour and Mood
Colour
influences our behaviour and perception. Colour psychology is partly affected by
age, gender and background; however, there are many universal reactions to
colour as well. When you look at colour in relation to marketing your product
or service, think about the effect of colours on mood. See the common colours
listed below, and bear in mind that usually, a combination of two or more
colours will result in the desired mood for your audience.
Yellow is
extremely eye-catching and is one of the first colours the brain picks out.
Because of this, it is attention-grabbing, but must only be used sparingly, for
too much yellow is tiring to the eye. So – in small quantities, yellow is a
good choice. It is an energetic and positive colour, bringing to mind new
beginnings such as Spring, or perhaps “Taking the First Step.” Yellow is
sunshine. Yellow is cheerful. Used in small quantities, it can be an effective
supplementary colour.
To convey an
aura of luxury, choose purple. It is elegance personified and appeals to women,
especially, due to its rich and high quality feel. Purple can be used to
attract buyers to high-end items and also, conversely, to give a sense of
quality to cheaper products when used in the right way. It has been found that
teenage girls respond the most positively to purple.
One of the
most powerful colours, red hits you between the eyes with its vigour and
energy. Just about everyone likes red, from babies, who respond to red before
any other colour, to children, who choose primary-colour toys over pastels, and
adults, who respond to it with passion – both love and hate. Red portrays
strength and power; thus it is very useful in the advertising world. It is
often used in marketing food and restaurants, because is it considered an
appetite stimulant.
Think nature,
think health, think tranquility. As well, think success. In our world of today,
green portrays harmony, for it is easy on the eye; for this reason, pale greens
are often found on hospital walls and clinics. As well, there is a firm
association of green equaling environmental and organic goods, as well as
fertility. On the other hand, green connotes financial power and money;
therefore, shades of green are useful in branding for such business as
insurance, investment and related services.
Trivia Break: Traditionally, in Scotland the
Highlanders wore green as a mark of honor; hence it is found in many tartans.
Blue is sky
and water, and therefore serenity and calm. It also hints at meticulousness and
intellect. Dark blues can sometimes illustrate sadness, but many shades signify
elegance and a business-like or sensible approach. It is interesting that many
school uniforms include this colour. Blue is a favourite, both by itself and in
combination with other colours.
Worldwide,
pink equals the feminine principle. It is attractive and is associated with
love and romance. Too much pink can be emasculating, but it is a calming colour
and a big hit with women and girls. Deep shades of pink, such as fuschia, can
say Strength, and paler pinks emanate softness, gentleness. Used in conjunction
with black or green, and depending on layout, pink can be a perfect addition
for specific kinds of branding.
This is the
warmest hue of the colour wheel, but without red’s occasional association with
negative emotions. Like yellow, orange can be overbearing if used in large
quantities, perhaps because it mimics the flame of a fire. Orange represents invigoration and, in
combination with other colours such as grey or white, can be very effective for
the right product.
Of course, black can signify solemnity and death. Remember, “death” can mean the end of something old and the beginning of something new: the discarding of unnecessary habits for a new beginning, for example. Black can also indicate negativity in a positive way – and yes, that is a deliberate oxymoron. Black contrasts well with bright colours and can make them stand out. Black is good for indicating formality and a business-like approach.
Symbolizing
purity, cleanliness and goodness, white is most thought of in advertising as
“white space,” which means giving plenty of room to elements that need to stand
out. As a colour used in branding, it is a good complement and, like black, it
can help other colours stand out. White is effective in logos, especially as
“negative” space.
The important elements of logos are scalability, and
adaptability to both colour and black and white. The first of these, to be
scalable, is because the logo must be identifiable within any media – for
instance, in a large format for a billboard poster or else reduced in size for
a thumbnail web graphic. For this reason, vector-based logos are more
common. As for colour versus black and
white: most logos generally will be produced in colour, but they need to be
recognizable in black and white too. How else would logos stand out if company
brochures were photocopied, for example? A well-designed logo will be seen and
known at any size and in any colour/non-colour format.
Icons are graphic depictions like logos, but utilized
differently. They started out being used in a mainly informative manner – and
still are – but now icons are also an entertaining way to convey messages.
Examples of an icon’s use are as metaphorical or abstract analogies that a
reader can understand quickly; for instance, a cursor turning into a
pointy-hand when a line of text is linked and clickable. Icons are great at
fulfilling functions on tablets and smartphones where a screen can’t hold
sufficient explanatory text. 
