The hidden power of colour in advertising

Colour is the first thing that attracts your attention to an advertisement. Or so an article this week on the psychology of colour as it relates to persuasion and advertising claims.

The article - Psychological Properties of Colour -  claims "There are four psychological primary colours - red, blue, yellow and green. They relate respectively to the body, the mind, the emotions and the essential balance between these three." It then goes on to list the attributes of various colours and what moods they convey. Apparently "colour has a powerful psychological influence on the human brain, mentally, physically, consciously and subconsciously. These responses to colour can be used to the advantage of marketeers to illicit the desired response to their marketing campaigns."

Red, for example, is described as a 'physical' colour - "Physical courage, strength, warmth, energy, basic survival, 'fight or flight', stimulation, masculinity, excitement." Then think brands such as Coca Cola, McDonalds, Virgin, Ferrari cars ... and how often are in-store "SALE" signs red?

Green is said to offer "Harmony, balance, refreshment, universal love, rest, restoration, reassurance, environmental awareness, equilibrium, peace... and you have Starbucks.


 While certain colours such as red are used to grab attention, more often in b-2-b marketing it is the typically mute colours of the Corporate Identity that we are accustomed to work with. It did bring to mind an incident many years ago when I was marketing director of Strand Lighting, at that time part of the Rank Organisation. In its earlier days, then known as Strand Electric, a range of  filters had been developed for projection of colour from theatrical spotlights. In the world of stage craft their quaint names and associated colour numbers were well known.

One day I  received a telephone call which resulted in me sending the editor of our company magazine to follow up on the story as a potential interest for alternative use of our by then elderly range of colour filters. Indeed that was the case and Richard returned to regale the marketing team of what was to us was a whole new world called colour therapy. He no doubt embellished the story, particularly the range of treatments and the facilities at the venue. It is said that, "Colours Therapy is a natural therapy tool which uses colours to restore or promote energy balances within an individual. The colours we interact with can impact us on an emotional, mental, spiritual and physical level. Colours operate on wavelengths which each have their own energy. Each colour of the rainbow resonates with the seven main chakras in the human body. Understanding these colour, chakra relationships can be used to to restore the balance of energy within the body according to where needs it most."