COLOR SYMBOLISM for Art Directors
Color symbolism varies from culture to culture. So if you're doing a global launch in Asia, you have to be mindful that you don't use the same colors or color combos as you would for the US. For instance, in Europe and the US, black is associated with death, but other cultures, including some Asian countries associate white with death. To make it simple I"ve clustered the info in useful "cultural buckets."
In Western Cultures:
Colors represent holidays and seasons of the year:
Asian Color Symbolism:
Certain colors have different effects on the body:
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Purple (and sometimes combined with gold) are classically associated with royalty, wealth and opulence. Other associations are envy, sensuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, spirituality, creativity, ceremony, mystery, wisdom, enlightenment, arrogance, flamboyance, gaudiness, mourning, profanity, exaggeration, confusion, pride, riches. Light violet: romanticism and delicacy.
Purple is the color of mourning for widows in Thailand, the favorite color of Egypt's Cleopatra, and the purple heart is given to soldiers who have been wounded during warfare.
Green has become the color representing ecology and concern for the environment, however, it also has meanings associated with money and the suggestion "to move ahead" or "go" which is obviously derived from traffic lights. Classically it also means nature, bad spirits, spring, fertility, youth, wealth and money (US), good luck, vigor, generosity, go, grass, aggression, inexperience, envy, misfortune, coldness, jealousy, illness, greed, corruption (North Africa), life eternal, air, earth, sincerity, hope, renewal, natural abundance, growth, health, balance, harmony, stability, calmness, creative intelligence, and is the color of Islam. During the Middle Ages, both green and yellow were used to symbolize the devil. Green is believed to be the luckiest of colors in some western countries including, Britain, Ireland (where it is also the national color) and the U.S.
Gray elegance, humility, respect, reverence, stability, subtlety, wisdom, anachronism, boredom, decay, decrepitude, dullness, dust, entanglement, pollution, urban sprawl, strong emotions, balance, neutrality, mourning, and formality.
Black Absence, modernity, power, sophistication, formality, elegance, wealth, mystery, style, evil, death (Western cultures), fear, anonymity, anger, sadness, remorse, mourning, unhappiness, sex, seriousness, conventionality, rebellion, unity, sorrow, life and rebirth (ancient Egypt).
White light, reverence, purity, snow, peace, innocence, cleanliness, simplicity, security, humility, sterility, winter, coldness, criticism, surrender, cowardice, fearfulness, unimaginative, air, fire, death (Eastern cultures), hope, bland, and empty.
Red passion, strength, energy, fire, love, sex, excitement, speed, heat, arrogance, ambition, leadership, masculinity, power, danger, gaudiness, blood, war, anger, revolution, radicalism, socialism, communism, aggression, stop, and respect.
Blue The sea, men or maleness, skies, peace, unity, harmony, tranquility, calmness, coolness, confidence, conservatism, water, ice, loyalty, dependability, cleanliness, technology, winter, depression, coldness, idealism, obscenity, air, wisdom, royalty, nobility, Earth (planet), strength, steadfastness, light, friendliness, peace, mourning (Iran), truthfulness, love, sadness, aloofness. In many diverse cultures blue is significant in religious beliefs, believed to keep the bad spirits away.
Yellow sunlight, joy, happiness, earth, optimism, intelligence, idealism, wealth (gold), summer, hope, air, liberalism, cowardice, illness (quarantine), hazards, dishonesty, avarice, weakness, greed, femininity, gladness, sociability, summer, friendship, deceit, hazard signs, death (Middle Ages), mourning (Egypt), courage (Japan). Yellow ribbons were worn during times of warfare as a sign of hope as women waited for their men to return.
Browncalm, boldness, depth, natural organisms, nature, richness, rusticism, stability, tradition, anachronism, boorishness, dirt, dullness, filth, heaviness, poverty, roughness, earth (classical element), down-to-earth, wholesomeness, steadfastness, simplicity, friendliness, and dependability.
Orange Hinduism, Buddhism, happiness, energy, balance, heat, fire, enthusiasm, flamboyance, playfulness, aggression, arrogance, gaudiness, over-emotion, warning, danger, autumn, and desire. Orange has less intensity or aggression than red and is calmed by the cheerfulness of yellow. The House of Orange is the name of the Royal family of the Netherlands. Therefore, in the Netherlands Orange symbolises royalty and as William of Orange was a Calvinist, orange symbolises protestantism particularily in Ireland(Orange Irish). Orange is also said to be the "color of insanity"
Pink Spring, gratitude, appreciation, admiration, sympathy, femininity, health, love, marriage, homosexuality, bisexuality.
Colors represent holidays and seasons of the year:
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Fall foliage colors of red, orange, yellow, and brown are the colors of Thanksgiving.
Halloween Orange and Black.
Christmas Red and Green
EasterPurple and Yellow and other pastels colors
Color Groupings:
Blue, Red, White and Grey stability, power, trustworthiness, conservatism
Red, White and Blue reminds us of the American flag. It immediately brings to mind patriotism and conservatism.
yellow, brown, orange, green nature, earthiness, warmth
Red, Orange, Yellow more warmth
Blues and Aquas water and coolness
Primary colors (Red, Blue, Yellow) convey fun
Asian Color Symbolism:
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Red: Happiness, marriage, prosperity
Pink Marriage
Yellow: fights evil, for the dead, geomantic blessings, courage
Green: Eternity, family, harmony, health, peace, posterity, disgrace (China)
Blue: Self-cultivation, wealth
Purple: Wealth
White: Children, helpful people, marriage,mourning, peace, purity, travel
Gold: Strength, wealth
Gray: Helpful people, travel
Black: Career, evil influences, knowledge, mourning, penance, self-cultivation
Black and white stands for mourning and cheerless occasions. For example, traditional garb for a funeral is black and white. Black for the loss, and white for their passing onto the heavens.
Certain colors have different effects on the body:
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Black: self-confidence, power, strength
Blue: calming, lowers blood pressure, decreases respiration
Green: soothing, relaxing mentally as well as physically, helps those suffering from depression, anxiety, nervousness
Violet: suppresses appetite, provides a peaceful environment, good for migraines
Pink: some believe it works as an appetite suppressant, relaxes muscles, relieves tension, soothing
Yellow: energizes, relieves depression, improves memory, stimulates appetite
Orange: energizes, stimulates appetite and digestive system
Red: stimulates brain wave activity, increases heart rate, respirations and blood pressure and increases hunger.
