Emotional Impact of Color

The Meaning of Color

Dr. Max Luescher, a Swiss psychologist, developed a means of examining the connotations of specific colors and their relationship to different traits. Luescher says there are four "psychological primary colors."

1) Yellow: Extroverted, optimistic and joyful.
2) Orange-Red: Excitable and assertive.
3) Green: Persistent, obstinate and self-centered.
4) Dark Blue: Represents a need for tranquility.

Here are a few examples of what colors represent:

Primary Colors:

Red is a very emotionally charged color. It tends to increase the respiration rate and can even raise your blood pressure. It creates excitement and can even increase your appetite.

Yellow is the happy color. It creates a sense of cheerfulness and helps to stimulate mental activity. When yellow is very bright, it can attract attention. It requires the most complex visual processing, and is recognized by humans faster than any other color. Companies with products associated with energy and technological innovation combine yellow's spontaneity and red's impulsiveness and power for their trademark.

Blue is a trusted color. It can provide a sense of tranquility and security. It tends to symbolize loyalty, wisdom, trust, faith, confidence, and intelligence. While red can help to increase the appetite, blue tends to have the opposite affect and can actually suppress the appetite.

Secondary Colors:

Orange is the combination of the happiness of yellow and the energy and strength of red. It symbolizes creativity, determination, enthusiasm and success. In addition, orange indicates affordability.

Green tends to suggest endurance and stability. It represents growth and safety and is associated with money and wealth. With the interest in “green” products, it is the only color that can promote organic foods and products effectively.

Violet or purple combines the energy and strength of red with the stability of blue. It represents nobility, ambition, power and luxury. It symbolizes extravagance and wealth and is often associated with independence.

Others:

White is generally positive and simple. Often it is the color of charitable organizations, low-fat foods and dairy products.

Black is elegant, powerful and formal. In marketing, it is dignified and can denote prestige.

We Can Help

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