Color has the power to evoke emotion, stimulate appetite, and even make babies cry. The psychology of colors goes well beyond personal preference, upbringing, cultural influence, and associations with experiences.
Colors are deeply ingrained in modern society, which can signify love, friendship, boy, girl, purity, passion, happiness, and peace. Marketers are well aware of the power color reigns over our lives, which is why McDonald’s chooses its red and yellows to make us hungry, and Victoria’s Secret uses pinks and purples to make women feel sexy and feminine.
It should surprise no one that retailers have gotten their hands on science that can manipulate the mind and senses into buying a particular item, shopping at their store or eating at their restaurant. Up to 90 percent of first impressions made about products can be based on color alone, according to a Canadian study on the impacts of color on marketing.
I – Word Understanding
evoke – to bring into the mind (feeling, memory, etc)
ingrained – existing firmly and for a long time
reign – rule
II – Have Your Say
10 Ways Colors Unknowingly Influence Your Life
1. Red – stimulates appetite but it can decrease exam performance
2. Blue – encourages the mind to think, boosting performance. It curbs appetite.
3. Green – connects the mind to trust and health
4. Yellow – the happiest color, increases metabolism and energy. It makes babies cry.
5. Orange – excites the brain. Darker shades indicates warmth, lighter indicates caution.
6. Pink – calm and warming color, signifies love and femininity. It calms down children.
7. Purple – the color of royalty, wealth and success. Lavender calms down a nervous person.
8. Black – the most ominous of colors, represents death and mourning
9. White – the color of purity, innocence and emptiness, a symbol of peace and emptiness.
10. Gold / Silver – Gold is associated with love, wisdom, glamour and wealth. Silver evokes security and style.
