red
If you want to been seen, be noticed, then you can’t go past the colour red. It’s literally shouting for attention ‘look at me!’ Red isn’t a colour for the faint hearted or for the shy, retiring violet. But it will certainly be a colour to bring them out of their shell!
Red has come to symbolise ‘I love you’ and this is nowhere more evident than on Valentine’s Day. Traditionally, it is the man who will give a gift for the one they love, admire… desire. Given red is the colour of masculine energy, it’s no surprise red is the most popular choice of colour.
The Ed Roberts Campus in Berkeley, California is the first structure of its kind in US. A non-profit community centre for the independent living & disabled rights movement. The designer’s brief was to create an “eye-catching, functional ramp structure … while avoiding an “institutional” appearance”.
Last month I featured Pantone’s colour of the year Tangerine Tango and blogged about all things orange. This month it’s Dulux’s turn. Their colour of the year is called Firecracker 4. A hue Dulux describe as a “blushing, lively juicy red”.
There’s an undeniable energy when you see the colour red. You only have to look at nature to see this in action. There’s nothing shy or retiring that’s for sure!
I always get excited at the end of the year as I know the major forecasting companies are about to announce their colours for the coming year. For 2012 I’m looking at Pantone and I’m not at all surprised by their predication.
This would have to be one of the best marketing coups. A company taking an iconic figure and moulding it to represent their brand. All through using their brand colour.
Back in April I wrote how Louboutin was suing YSL over copying their signature red sole. It is no surprise to see Tiffany & Co. have now come out supporting Louboutin that a colour can be trademarked.
When it comes to brand recognition through colour, you can’t go past the Royal Mail and their red mail boxes. Did you know the Royal mail post boxes were originally green? Proving difficult to spot, especially in the thick fog, in 1874 it was changed to red.
This is part of the colour & design surgery series, answering questions from clients and readers. Question: “How is colour understood differently in different cultures?” – reader, Melissa Lessi.