Colour Associations In Big-Brand Logos
When we look at the branding of famous companies, we can certainly find examples that seem to fit the colour psychology theory. MacDonalds, with its combination of red and yellow, might suggest speed, excitement and fun. Netflix and Marvel’s red logos could indicate a thrilling experience. Blue logos, attributed with properties of intelligence, competence, wisdom and reliability, are the choice of a raft of technology companies, including Dell, IBM, Samsung, and Nokia, and of a number of financial institutions, for example American Express, Deutsche Bank and Prudential.
So will a simple “I’m a bank so I’m blue” type of formula solve our brand-colour dilemmas for us? It appears not. We don’t have to look far to find large, successful companies whose logo colour does not tie in so neatly with colour psychology’s list of colour attributes. Staying with our examples of red and blue, Levis jeans and technology companies Canon and Oracle have solid red logos, while Oreo biscuits and Domino’s Pizza make strong use of blue.
Maybe it’s not quite so simple, after all.