Colours & Symbolism

Colours and Symbolism

Red:

• Colour of fire and blood

• Associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination, passion, desire, love...

• High visibility therefore used for signs, lights and safety equipment

• Used in many national flags as a symbol of courage

• Anything coloured red is brought to the foreground

• Used to force people into making decisions fast, e.g. 'BUY NOW'

• Typically used as a sign of danger

• Also associated with energy therefore used for energy drinks

Orange:

• Combination of energy and happiness

• Associated with joy, sunshine, enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement, stimulation

• Seen as a hot colour so gives the sensation of heat

• Can stimulate appetite since it is associated with healthy, citrus fruits

• Most effectively used to promote food and toys

• Very bright so can be used to highlight aspects of work

Yellow:

• Associated with joy, happiness, intellect, energy, freshness, decay, sickness, jealousy...

• Can often be linked to food

• It's brightness is very attention-grabbing therefore is used for taxis

• Yellow stands out more than any other colour on a black background; this combination of colours is affiliated with danger, e.g. bees

• Believed to be an unstable and spontaneous colour

• Yellow can be seen as a 'childish' colour, especially to men

Green:

• Colour of nature

• Associated with growth, harmony, peace, fertility, protection, ambition, greed, jealousy, sickness, cowardice, stability, endurance...

• Strongly linked to safety and money therefore used to sell medical products and to indicate it is safe to cross a road

• Used to promote environmentally-friendly products

Blue:

• Colour of the sky and the sea therefore associated with tranquility

• Believed to represent depth and stability

• Symbolises trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, cleanliness, healing, knowledge...

• Used to promote clean products such as mineral water, filtering products, cleaning liquids, air conditioners...

• Considered to be a masculine colour

• Blue is believed to suppress the appetite, therefore isn't used to promote food

Purple:

• Combination of stability and energy

• Associated with royalty, power, nobility, luxury, ambition, wealth, mystery, dignity, independence, magic...

• Considered to be artificial since it is rarely sound in nature

• Very popular among children compared to pink and blue

Pink:

• Signifies romance, love, friendship, passiveness, intimacy, thoughtfulness...

• Associated with feminine qualities

• Can also be seen as intuitive and insightful

• Used to put people in touch with their more nurturing, caring sides

• Represents the sweet, innocent, child-like nature within each person

• May also symbolise a lack of will-power, self-worth and self-reliance

White:

• Associated with goodness, innocence, purity, cleanliness, safety, success...

• Has very positive connotations therefore angels are depicted to be wearing white

• Also affiliated with medical institutions such as hospitals

• It is seen as a very appropriate colour for charity organisations

• Linked to coolness since it is the colour of snow

Black:

• Associated with darkness, power, death, evil, mystery, elegance, grief, authority...

• Since it is seen as a mysterious colour it used to represent the unknown, e.g. black holes, night time

• Used to make people look thinner within the fashion industry

• Contrasts very well with bright, bold colours

• Mainly used as backgrounds to make other colours stand out more

• Very negative connotations in comparison to the colour white

Common Symbolism:

• Blowing out a candle in a room to signify the death of a family member

• Birds are associated with freedom and flying between different worlds, e.g. Earth and Heaven

• Crows are a symbol of war and death

• Dragons are used to symbolise danger or even money and fame dependent upon the situation

• Fireflies are used to symbolise the souls of those who have passed away

• Wild animals represent dangerous people and passions

• Rain is used to represent sadness and melancholy

• An axe is a prop used commonly to show danger and authority, as well as strange hobbies for the character who posses the axe

• Falling leaves are used to symbolise surrender

• Gates are useful props to symbolise ownership, danger, and new beginnings

• Hunting within a film can represent risk, death, domination or skill