Heading south for a couple of weeks to sunny(ish) Fredericksburg, VA reminded me just how different the landscape can be in different parts of the country. More importantly, it reminded me the many ways in which the shades and hues of the landscapes around us gives us a sense of place, and how that sense of place can be conveyed through our marketing materials.
Yes, I actually thought that as I was driving up I-95 towards D.C. You can say it. I’m a giant geek.
That said, however, the sights and sounds of my Christmas vacation set the stage quite nicely for a foray back into the wonderful world of advertising and the ways we use color to set the stage for our seasonal marketing campaigns.
Starting with the color blue.
The Many Faces of Blue
Everybody loves cake. And everybody loves blue. But which blue is the right blue for you?
“Cake! Cake has layers! Everybody loves cake!”
I’m not 100% certain that’s precisely how the quote goes, but I’ll bet you immediately connected it with the small, annoying, prancing, talking donkey from Shrek. Ogres have layers. People have layers. Blue has layers. Everybody has some shade of blue they like.
Before you can even begin to understand ogres, people or the many uses of the color blue, you have to know that no two are exactly the same.
Take blue. A pale, pastel blue is a cool color that’s perfect for relaxing your clientele in the summertime heat; however, that pale blue will wash out against the grays of winter. When using blue in a winter marketing campaign you’re better off sticking with vibrant shades of blue.
Bright blue in a marketing piece has the same connotations as a pastel blue or a navy blue, but it’s not as likely to inspire severe bouts of seasonal depression! And bright colors are welcomed during the drab grays and browns of winter, while they might be overly-stimulating against the bright shades of summer.
What Does Blue Mean?
The colors you choose for your marketing and promotional pieces are meant to inspire certain feelings in your clientele. Blue is no exception. Blue, when used in logos and promotional pieces, is meant to:
1) Calm the viewer.
2) Inspire feelings of trust and solidarity. Blue is very popular among old, established firms and businesses.
3) Convey a sense of superiority over the competition.
What Products Use Blue?
Blue is extremely popular when promoting cleanliness, health and products related to the air or the sky, or products or services strongly rooted in intellectual superiority. It’s a highly masculine color but has been proven to reduce appetite, so it’s probably not the best choice for the cover of your latest cookbook!