Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Color communicates. It can provide direction and clarity. When language fails
color can offer valuable associations with people, places and things. Shamrock
green. Fire engine red. School bus yellow. Midnight black. Sky blue. The mere act
of reading those colors evokes distinct feelings. Color induces subtle emotions,
and elicits powerful responses. Because color’s impact is so profound, it’s role
in design and branding is critical – and can achieve extraordinary results.
Over time, thoughtful and consistent use of color becomes emblematic of a brand,
and can be as powerful an identifier as the corporate name and logo. Automotive
icon Enzo Ferrari once said of his namesake sports cars, “It’s not a Ferrari if
it’s not red”. And, of course, Ferraris are no ordinary red, they’re Rosso Corsa
(race red) – the official Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile designated
racing color of Italy. With one vivid stroke a single color identifies the company
and products, symbolizes their raison d’etre, and creates an emotional connection
with an entire nation by embodying it’s proud racing heritage. The effects are
profound. Ferrari is one example of many leading global brands that have utilized
the associative and emotional impact of color to create an advantage. Think UPS
brown, or Tiffany & Co. blue.
1) Select a color you can own: Be it red, green or periwinkle, consider a color
unique to your industry. Color associations increase brand recognition and build
brand equity. A distinctive blue box confirms that it’s no ordinary bauble inside,
but a Tiffany bauble. The difference in perception is significant, before the box
is even opened, and the gift revealed.
6) Once you own it, really own it: Protecting a distinctive color is as important
as protecting your logo, slogan, or other visual elements of your brand identity.
Trademarking your color(s) will shield you from copycats seeking to infringe upon
your brand equity. A Color Trademark protects colors used to perform the trademark
function of uniquely identifying the commercial origin of products or services.
The UPS brown, for instance, dubbed Pullman Brown, was trademarked by the company
to prevent competitors from applying it to their branding.
Ken Peters is the owner and Creative Director of nationally acclaimed Nocturnal
Graphic Design Studio LLC, a Phoenix-based strategic branding firm specializing in
brand development for companies of all sizes in all industries worldwide.
www.nocturnaldesign.com.