Thursday, March 14, 2013
Motivation in Advertising
Our current unit on emotion and motivation presents a lot of concepts that are important to advertisers in the business world. I recently came across this diagram about colors used in marketing and the message it might send about the product.
Do you think certain colors are related to certain emotions? Do you associate these feelings with the products and brands that are presented. Are there other examples of companies you like based on the colors of their logo?
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I believe that colors do play a role in our emotions. Those are perfect (in my opinion) examples of items for each color category. What the diagram above is showing is how I have always perceived colors when corresponding them with an emotion. This is why my mom had me re-paint my room from red to a faint green, she said the red was too much all of the time.
ReplyDeleteI can see how different colors can exact different emotions in people. Ive heard some teachers dont use red pen, becuase the color red apparently can make students angry. At first I was skeptical of this post, but after I thought about it, I kindof agree with what it is saying about each color. However, I feel like most of, if not all of these companies don't actually chose their logo by the meanings of the colors
ReplyDeleteI found this article, well image, very interesting. I think most of these images provide or enhance a certain feeling when you see it. For example, Nickelodeon is a perfect color and image to represent friendly because orange is associated with being friendly. I think espn, since its logo is red, get people excited to watch sports because red is a bold color.
ReplyDeleteI think brands carefully choose to use certain colors in their advertisements to sell their products. However, I found it difficult to associate some of the emotions with a brand (for example: when I see a Sprite can, I don't immediately feel peaceful or think growth/health.)
ReplyDeleteI think certain colors are related to emotions. McDonalds, for example, uses the colors red and yellow. Those two colors together together make me think of ketchup and mustard and that thought makes me hungry. Even when these colors aren't on the golden arch sign, and someone is wearing the colors together I think to myself "McDonalds looking" and then I think of food and become hungry.
ReplyDeleteI agree that colors coincide with certain emotions, but the colors can be canceled out by the words in the logo. The colors being related with emotions could be why coca cola is more popular than pepsi. They taste pretty much the same way and there have been many tests to prove that most people cant tell the difference, but coca cola still beat pepesi. Red is a happier color than blue and black.
ReplyDeleteI think that colors do express an emotion, or maybe the hue reminds you of something and can trigger some sort of feeling. For me, especially when I see like a bright/neon yellow for example, it kind of wakes me up a bit and gives me a quick energy boost.
ReplyDeleteWhile I think this is a really cool way of categorizing brands' logos, I don't think it really has anything to do with my emotion toward the brand. While some examples fit, like John Deere and the color green, others not so much. For example, BP is in the green section and Shell is in the yellow section. I don't feel a particular optimism toward Shell or a peacefulness toward BP. To me they are both gas companies. As far as my opinions go, I have never consciously chosen a brand because of its color, but that's not to say there wasn't some unconscious pulling that occurred without my knowledge.
ReplyDeleteI do think certain colors are related to certain emotions. I especially associate the color yellow with cheerful/happy feelings. Most of the colors presented on the diagram I can see how they relate to the emotion described although I often look at red and think of danger not necessarily excitement.
ReplyDeleteMost companies have bright colors as their logos and I find myself staring at those colors because they stick out when compared to their surroundings.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that color has some impact on emotion, but I really don't know how much. As an artistic student I think that colors can evoke an emotional response but the slight coloring on logos? I don't think so. I remember that in the book blink there were studies about how the images on packaging can influence the experience of the product.
ReplyDeleteI think colors do influence my emotions. For example if I see something yellow it normally cheers me up, but dark cool colors tend to depress me. If an advertisement has yellow in it I will probably like it better.
ReplyDeleteI believe that color is related to the emotion you feel; Not only in advertisement, but others things in general.An example of this is when I painted my bedroom orange. For some reason, every time I was sitting in my room, I always got a huge headache and was frustrated. So this summer, I painted my bedroom brown/creme and now I get a relaxed feeling in my room; It's more comfortable. I believe that loud color of orange gave me that feeling of being frustrated. This is one of the reasons I believe color affects mood/emotions.
ReplyDeleteI belive that colors act sort of like a non-verbal communication, and each color contains symbolism. I believe that our eyes view or percieve certain colors in different ways, associating different emotions with each color. I agree with the each brand's placement on the guide. The company's brand or logo is an important part of what message they are trying to send or product they are trying to sell.
ReplyDeleteI agree that colors have an effect on our emotions and do influence our feelings towards products and brands. I've also heard that red also strengthens one's appetite, so maybe that's why there are a lot of food logos in the red. I like IKEA because of it's colors and atmosphere!
ReplyDeleteAs a human race, I do think that our brain's proccess colors as different feelings. I think when our brain percieves different colors, it arouses the brain in a variety of ways depending on the color. For some reason, whenever I hear my last name, I think of the color red. No story behind it, no particular reason, I just do. I dont know, maybe it's because my family does exciting things? And when it comes to certain people, if I hear their name, my mind projects their name in my brain in a certain color. Most of my friends have different colors and it's all based on their personalities. One thing I know for sure that is true for me about the above picture is that I associate the color blue with dependability. When choosing a product, I often find myself leaning towards the product with the blue logo. It makes me feel safe.
ReplyDeleteI think that colors can trigger certain emotions in people. We can see that the brand may also be conditioned in the person. Someone can drink Coca-Cola because anytime they have something good happen they are drinking Coke. This makes them relate the Coke with everything good.
ReplyDeleteYes, I believe that people associate different colors with different emotions. People tend to feel happier/more uplifted when in the presence of lighter, brighter colors. People tend to feel more depressed/sadder when in the presence of darker/drabber colors. I often find myself more immediately drawn to logos like firefox or coca-cola because of the vibrant logos and defined colors.
ReplyDeleteYes, I find that certain colors are related to certain emotions. For examples on extreme ends, brighter/lighter colors tend to be associated with happier/energetic feelings, while darker/drabber colors tend to be associated with sadder/more lax feelings. I find myself drawn to logos like Coca-Cola and Firefox because of their vibrant displays and colors.
ReplyDeleteI never noticed before, but I guess color plays a subtle but important role in advertising. It seems obvious now but I never realized how many outdoor products have a green logo or how many computer related items have a blue logo... It makes sense considering what each color tries to convey.
ReplyDeleteEveryone remembers mood rings, but their interpretation of our feelings are a little bit different than this diagram. For example, my old mood ring paper relates purple to passion, red to stressed, blue to relaxed, and yellow to nervous. I think that a certain color can bring a different feeling to every person; there are so many different opinions...one color can't really be pinned to bring out one general emotion.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree certain colors are related to different emotions and have different effects on people. Brighter more intense colors are related with happiness and enerjetic feelings. Unlike darker colors which are associated with depression and sadness. I like the logo for apple because of its bright colors!
ReplyDeleteI feel that this picture is rather accurate for the positive side of colors. I also feel that there's a negative to each color such as depression with blue and aggression with red that this diagram fails to touch on.
ReplyDeleteI personally do not base my liking of an object based on the color of the logo. But this chart does make me wonder how many people actually do prefer one brand over another with consideration to the color of the logo. I found it very interesting, after looking at the chart how companies colors matched up with the messages they wanted consumers to receive.
ReplyDeleteI would also agree that colors depict a certain emotion; however, I have always felt that the color red was more of an extreme emotion than just a bold or excited emotion. For example, in the military, code red is always the worst scenario has occurred; and in West Side Story, the color red was used frequently used to depict lust, love or romance, according to some of the crew of the 1961 movie.
ReplyDeleteI agree that colors can have an impact on the emotions that we experience. I noticed that most of the colors in the above diagram are bright because we tend to associate happier emotions with brighter colors. I recently experienced how colors can affect emotions when my dad painted the office room in my house from red to light green. It is now much more relaxing in the room than it was when it was bright red. This is similar to the above diagram, where red is associated with excitement and green is associated with peace.
ReplyDeleteWhen you see generic foods at the store, the companies make the product the same color of the product they are mimicking, because they know the original product's color goes hand in hand with the product. Generic Cola is usually red, just like Coca-Cola, because Coca-Cola proved that red caused excitement. People see a red can and can instantly feel a certain way, and companies that make generic cola take advantage of this effect.
ReplyDeleteI believe that certain colors can relate to different emotions but I can't help but wonder if each person has the same color-emotion association. Many people have said that bright colors are related with upbeat colors and dark colors are related to depression and sadness. For me, bright colors make me anxious, sometimes nervous more then it makes me happy or energetic. Dark colors usually make me feel calm and bring everything to together. When I see a combination of dark and bright colors or colors in between then I feel more energetic and happy emotions. I have never felt dark colors were depressing, not even black. I wonder why dark colors are always associated with depression.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think different colors are related to certain emotions. I think the colors of logos help create a first impression of the company. For example, how BP, Whole Foods, and Animal Planet all have green logos which immediately give a healthy and safer/peaceful impression. After looking at the picture, I realized that many of the companies with the same color logos were similar in the way they wanted their company portrayed. Since color is the first thing many people notice in a logo, I think companies think through how they want people to portray their company/product.
ReplyDeleteI definitely thing that certain colors can evoke different emotions. When I was younger I read a book on feng shui that instructed what colors to paint a room if you wanted to create a certain mood. My room is light blue, and the color instantly makes me feel calm. Darker, harsher colors (like red) can have a subtle negative impact on how a person feels.
ReplyDeleteI agree that certain colors produce specific emotions. I can relate to this because whenever I see bright colors it makes me feel happier than cool dark colors. Another example of this is how people say that the colors red, orange, and yellow make you hungry so that's why we see many restaurants with these colors in their logos.
ReplyDeleteI agree that certain colors are related to emotions and feelings. When I think of the color green, I tend to think more about the earth and being healthy. When I think of the color red I think more bold and out there. I also think that brighter colors tend to lead to more positive and upbeat thoughts than dull colors. You tend to be in a better mood when it is sunny outside then when its raining and gloomy.
ReplyDeleteI think colors impact your emotions and feelings. When I think of the color green I tend to think more of the earth and health and fitness. When I think of the color red I think bold. Kind of like stop signs or red lights, they grab your attention. Brighter colors tend to make you more happy and in a better mood than dull colors.
ReplyDeleteI agree that colors are related to emotions and have a certain emotional connotation associated with them. I agree with most of the logos' "emotion" categorized by their color. However, color can also be for purely aesthetic uses or have a social connotation, such as colors of royalty or blue for boys, pink for girls.
ReplyDeleteI think that while certain colors might bring out different emotions in us, they aren't set in stone. I think that it depends on the situation. We can interpret colors in a lot of different ways. for example blue and red can mean different things. We've learned to associate them to temperatures so if we see a blue cold front or a red warm front on the weather channel we might go outside and feel cold or hot. Or we can associate them to the feelings they are generally paired with, blue for sad, and red for angry. It all depends on the situation.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the exact color matters as much to emotion as the intensity and brightness of the colors. I think the loud, bright colors trigger a happier response in the brain than darker and more dismal shades. I know for example that seeing advertisements with more exciting shades has a subtle effect on how I view the product because I'm in a happier and more optimistic mind frame. For example, a lot of Gatorade advertisements contrast the dark background with an extremely vibrant shade of Gatorade. I think this does a great job in attracting the focus to the product and eliciting a more positive response from the product because it has such a bright appeal.
ReplyDeleteAs I see different colors, I definitely associate some with feelings. Like when I see a red heart I automatically think love or when I see red, white, and blue together I think freedom. These colors have been hammered into out head since we were young and I believe they have a huge impact on emotion and feelings.
ReplyDeleteI think color has a HUGE role in advertising. Looking at the rainbow, i realized that alot of the colors are really bright. Bright colors in my opinion are more inviting and makes me want to buy them. Thats why, in alot of soda canns the colors are bright. When the colors are more bright and shiny, its makes the cann more exciting and inviting. If the color is bland and just simple, it doesnt really pop out to the buyers. I think that graphic designers are really smart about the colors they use because it could either make or break the product.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with all you bafoons. I dont believe that when I see a color I think of an emotion. When I see black I dont automatically think of darkness and death. I look at it in a completely differnt manner. People overtime have just associated black with death and white with heaven. The media shapes what colors go with certain emotions, but I dont believe they are true.
ReplyDeleteI do think that colors associate with our emotions. Many off brands of goods use similar covers where the colors and fonts are the same. For example the colors, writing, and layout of Mr. Pibb is very similar to Dr. Pepper so it helps in convincing you that it is still a quality product even though it is a just a copy cat of Dr. Pepper.
ReplyDeleteCertain colors are definitely related to certain emotions. If this weren't true, then picking room colors in a new house would be a lot easier than it is. Dark colors are depressing, while pastels are uplifting. I feel like colors and emotions are combined by association. For example, devils are always red so we associate red with anger. I wonder if we would associate yellow with anger if the devil was initially yellow instead of red.
ReplyDeleteI actually never realized the similar colors that certain companys use. And I sure haven't paid attention to what the colors actually mean, but after looking at the diagram I can say that I agree that colors trigger certain emotions in people. For example, I definitely agree that the golden yellow color does bring a sense of warmth and comfort somewhat for Mcdonalds and Subway. I also think the brighter the color the more you are attracted to it and the more likely you'll be able to associate positive emotions with that logo.
ReplyDeleteI honestly don't agree with much of this diagram specifically. I do acknowledge that colors do help provoke certain emotions, these ones just don't line up. But the advertisements that are already a color may cause me to organize that color with the emotion the product gives me. So it's the product doing the conditioning to the color, not the color to the product/brand.
ReplyDeleteI believe that this is used, and very strategically might I add. I don't necessary believe with the entire color scale. For example, green is supposed to portray "health" and "growth." I don't think BP portrays that at all... especially considering how much oil they've dumped into the ocean, etc. Although, I do agree that Oreos resemble trust and strength. I love Oreos. I have always linked purple to royalty--because that's what I've been taught. Certain colors have been taught to us as children to portray certain emotions. Yellow is to happiness as red is to anger. I think the media is just good at manipulating these colors in an attempt to make us feel a certain way about their product/business.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that colors are linked to different emotions. I think it is a great way for companies to get a subtle message across about a certain product. Although color being linked to emotion isn't only used by companies but also families when they paint their homes. When my family and I finished our basement we had to decided on a color. We picked a terracotta orange (which sound ugly but it isn't) because many studies show that that color relaxes you and actually encourages you to engage in conversation.
ReplyDeleteI think it's interesting that some of the well known restaurant chains like McDonalds and Subway are both in the clarity and warmth area.When people go to these restaurants, do they feel more relaxed,and willing to eat more because of these colors? I once read somewhere that restaurants use certain colors for their plates because certain colors want to make people fill their plates and eat more. This reminds me of that. Orange Leaf also has bright colors in their stores and the whole marketing concept is to fill the cup with different kinds of frozen yogurt.
ReplyDeleteI definatly believe colors can represent different moods. I always associate birhgter colors like yellow or orange to happier moods, Blues and blacks to sad moods and pink and red to more flirty moods or love, and green to envy or luckiness.
ReplyDeleteI definitely think certain colors are related to certain emotions, but i also feel like some businesses just pick bright colors to get peoples attention without putting much thought into it. I don't recall ever getting certain "feelings" when I just see a logo, maybe i do unconsciously thought. There are a lot of colors that I feel like have more emotions associated with them than the ones listed though! For example, my blue room makes me feel calm and relaxed. I couldn't imagine having red or another other bold color wall.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that colors are related to different emotions. A color could be associated as happy and good feeling if it is a color someone likes, or is a bright color. I remember as a little kid, I liked the University of Cincinnati because of their basketball team's uniform colors. I still like their colors, along with many other teams and items that have those same colors. I would always like to see a company with a red and black logo, and still feel that way up to this day. Red and black as a pair give me memories of going to the U.C campus as a kid with my mom.
ReplyDeleteI feel like in the beginning, color wasn't thought of as exemplifying emotion, but as the people started associating color with emotion, it became well-known. Even though I usually do not notice colors in advertisements and logos, I know that other people do. For exmaple, according to the comments listed, McDonald's is a popular topic. Most people see red and yellow relating to products of McDonald. I, however, just use the color combination to recognize ads and signs as McDonalds.
ReplyDeleteYes, I believe that certain colors are related to different emotions because people have different ways they look at things. So maybe say if they saw their favorite color that might make them happy in a way then other colors would. Also people may like company logos better if its their favorite color and they might get a good or safe feeling from it.
ReplyDelete-Shishiswag77
I do feel that colors are associated with emotions, or at least I think so. However, I disagree with many of the products and brands represented, although some are helpful in the advertisement of products. I believe some colors can have an influence on people depending on how bright and happy the color is, or how dull and unfriendly it is. Usually, brighter colors appeal to me and cause me to feel pleasant emotions.
ReplyDeleteI agree that colors are related to different emotions for different advertisement. I feel advertisment companies use the colors to target different types of customers for different types of products. For example a lot of food companies use bright colors. This makes the customer want to express happiness, so the customer is happy has they eat.
ReplyDeleteI think that most of these logos and associated terms make sense, but that not many of us would necessarily make the connections if we didn't see them on this color emotion guide. Once we are presented with the ideas these colors represent, we can easily see the connections; I'm sure marketers choose wisely which colors they want to represent their companies/logos, but their choices probably don't have the impact the companies would hope for on the customers (because we don't all have these color-feeling associations).
ReplyDeleteI thought this image was really interesting. After going through the different categories I thought everything for the most part was spot on. Certain colors are related to certain emotions! I think companies cautiously choose certain colors in their advertisements to help sell their products. I work at Skyline and I think our mainly blue logo with a pop of yellow and red are perfect colors in order to grab someone’s attention, and show that the atmosphere is warm, welcoming, and dependable.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that colors are related to emotions. As I read through the colors with the corresponding emotions many logos appeared in my mind- like the Stand Up 2 Cancer logo is red(excitement), orange (friendliness), and yellow (optimism) which are all emotions about the endeavor to find a cure for cancer.
ReplyDeleteI never would have thought that we as human beings would rely upon such a simple characteristic to make a majority of the desicions about what we consume but the chart makes valid sense. I can see this in action at my own occupation as well. Kroger's primary color is blue which instills a feeling of trust within the customer who is viewed as the most important member within the Kroger family. This is because without the customers trust and satisfation, there would be no reason for us to work because of lack of business. Colors are very influential when you come to think of it and this post does not reflect the views or opinions of the Kroger Company but merely my own thoughts and opinions.
ReplyDeleteMcDonalds' logo is yellow for optimism. But yellow is also the color of butter, which makes you fat. Also, if blue represents dependability and stregnth, why is the Internet Explorer logo blue? Thanks Obama.
ReplyDeleteI believe that certain feelings are associated with colors like red and warmth, however I don't think the emotions are as specific as the chart says such as wise-purple and gray-balance
ReplyDeleteYeah, maybe colors have some generalized connections to certain emotions, but I think maybe it has a bit to do with classical conditioning. Say, when you're young, you played with bright colors toys. So you associate bright colors with positive feelings. These advertisements seem to just strengthen this connection.
ReplyDeleteI agree that colors can depict certain emotions to people. But, I also feel like these emotions are dependent on the culture the person viewing them lives in. Just like hand gestures, they can be interpreted differently. Orange for example may mean something totally different in some other country than what it does in the American business world.
ReplyDeleteI agree that certain colors relate to different emotions. If they are bright and neon like, those colors connect with happy/party/feel good emotions. whereas dark colors can relate to, sadness, intense, scary emotions.
ReplyDeleteI definitly agree that different colors can bring up different emotions in people. An example of this is to have someone pick a number and then for them to do many different and difficult mathmatical problems with this number. When asked afterwards to pick a color that most common one chosen was red. This is because red symbolises to us feeling of hatred and anger and most people do not like doing hard math problems
ReplyDeleteColors definitely play a small role in emotion; however, I do not believe that they are overpowering. For example while purple does hint at creativity after seeing several tv shows from the syfy channel I do not consider it creative in the slightest.
ReplyDeleteI definitely think colors can bring out certain emotions, I wouldn't say a certain color makes me think of a certain advertisement or product, but it is much more appealing to watch the multi-colored iPod commercials than the black and white ones.
ReplyDeleteI believe that different colors do affect our emotions, even without us knowing sometimes. It reminds me of studies that have been done that say when someone wears red, they appear more powerful to others. I find it interesting that advertising can speak so much to us with just a logo.
ReplyDeleteI agree also that colors have to do with mood. When people think of happiness, you think of bright colors, such as yellows, orange, and blues. Sadness is more associated with darker colors, like deep purple, black, and brown.
ReplyDeleteCertain colors are definitely related to different emotions. I believe that colors elicit different emotions from different people. As a general outline, the way these companies are portrayed is pretty accurate.
ReplyDeleteI feel as though according to this chart, it seems that different colors have different emotions, but I wonder if it is like that beyond logos.
ReplyDeleteI think that not only colors, but their intensities play a part in emotion. It's sort of why we have a soft pink and blue for babies and intense versions of the same colors are reserved for sports teams or rock bands, because the different extremes of the colors can cause different extremes of emotions.
ReplyDeleteI think that these colors do accurately demonstrate how we feel when it comes to a certain product or brand. I think most people subconsciously associate each of the colors with that feeling; or at least the general public. There are small niches of people (goths for example) that don't have this color-feeling association. Could this be because they weren't raised with those associations, like how kids in the west side of Lakota associate failure and hatred with East?
ReplyDeleteI definitely think certain colors are associated with certain emotions, that's why they wanted to turn Elmo from red to blue, because red is supposed to cause anger and blue is more calm. I do feel that the emotions shown are associated with the brands. Like the yahoo symbol, it does seem creative and Dell is a computer company so it should come off as dependable and strong.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that certain colors can effect moods. I see this though as the colors of the walls in a room or something that you are surrounded by and obsorbed in. I don't think logos have as big of an association with feelings and emotions. The colors may represent certain feelings, but I don't believe that by just seeing the logo to Taco Bell will make me feel creative and wise. Just hungry.
ReplyDeleteI think colors do have an effect on feelings. I thin we have seen certain colors that we associate with feelings in our heads when we see that color. Such as seeing a smiley face that is the color yellow makes me think happy, or seeing a red rose makes me think of love. I lke the yahoo logo because I think the font and the exclamation point both make me excited.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it is possible that different colors trigger different emotions in our brains, I believe that this phenomenon is a result of associations made from our pasts. One comment on this page talked about the negative feeling associated with red ink. This is probably because red ink is often associated with the frustration or anger of mistakes and/or bad grades. One may even notice this as a basic example of classical conditioning =O
ReplyDeleteThis calls into question the way different cultures and language groups classify colors. For example, speakers of most languages draw the line between what they call 'blue' and what they call 'green' at around the same place, but Welsh speakers have a very different understanding of where 'blue' starts and 'green' ends. If there are more examples of this phenomenon throughout language clusters then, given our global economy, it's hard to imagine the universality of emotional color responses, especially in advertising.
ReplyDeleteI think that a lot of the brands are correct in their placement in the picture; however, some still don't seem to fit. For example, when I think of Cartoon Network, I don't think of balance. I think that should have been placed under creative. Also, Taco Bell I don't think should have been placed under creative, but rather friendly or trust. Anyone could interpret these brands differently but their colors can have different effects. Bright, warm colors can comfort people, while darker, cooler colors can make people uneasy.
ReplyDeleteI don't necessarily like a logo based on its color but I do agree with the fact that certain colors trigger certain emotions, such as yellow for optimistic and red for excitement. Some logos that have those colors I get those emotions.
ReplyDeleteI definitely believe that colors make a difference in the emotions we feel when presented with a certain product. I personally know that certain colors make me feel a certain way. For example dark yellows and olive greens are calming colors so whenever i go into a panera restaurant i feel a calming sense because the walls help make a calm atmosphere for me. Also, the walls in my room are painted bright purple so i feel happy when i wake up!
ReplyDeleteI think that companies use this method to sell their products. Some things I do associate with these colors such as subway and optimism, yet some I don't see such as Cartoon Network and balance. -candiceswanepoel6
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