Color Theory: Primary Colors
Color has a powerful effect on the mind. Each shade elicits a specific reaction, feeling, or emotion. Therefore, it is so important to choose the right colors to reflect your brand. Today, we’ll be looking at how to properly use the primary colors: red, blue, and yellow.
RED: Red is a diverse color. It can represent violence, danger, or anger but also passion, happiness, and love. Any way you look at it, red is an attention getter, which is why it is one of the top colors used in logo designs. YouTube uses red in their play button to simulate the excitement of watching videos, and Coca Cola uses it in their packaging since red can also stimulate the appetite. If you’re looking to elicit a strong, passionate response to your brand, then red is the way to go.
BLUE: Blue is the other most popular color in logo design. It is associated with a feeling of peace, calm, and trustworthiness. You’ll see many brands in the medical and corporate fields using this color. In the US, blue is often listed as a favorite, and is rarely disliked, so many brands see this as a safe color to use (see Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.). If it’s important that people associate your brand as being clean, calm, and trustworthy then blue is the right color for you.
YELLOW: Yellow is most often associated with happiness, positivity, frugalness, and fun. Like red, it is an attention grabber, but unlike blue, it’s normally ranked as the least liked color. Two great examples of brands who use yellow in their logos to emphasize frugalness are Best Buy and McDonalds. Best Buy’s logo is a yellow tag to represent great deals on their products, and McDonalds uses the “golden arches” to emphasize their quick, inexpensive food. When used correctly, yellow can be an effective for brands looking to market frugalness and fun.
It is important to consider all meanings behind each color to make sure you are getting the correct message across to your potential client base. The right shade and color combination can make all the difference, which is why hiring a professional designer with knowledge of color theory is key. If you would like to learn more about what colors would best represent your brand, we are happy to chat: info@lmcspotlight.