Global colour system manufacturer Pantone has announced Peach Fuzz (also known by the catchy TCX 13-1023 reference ) as its forecast Colour of the Year 2024. The soft and subtle peach hue is described as a nurturing, all-embracing tone designed to inspire compassion, empathy and connection. According to Pantone, Peach Fuzz, is “calm and comforting, intended to conjure feelings of peace and serenity following a year of turmoil in many aspects of our lives”.
Pantone predicts that colours that support healing, recovery and contemplation will be big in 2024, so expect to see this highly commercial colour embraced across industries, particularly in homeware, fashion, beauty and packaging.
Why are colours important in design and advertising in particular?
It’s about more than just looking good. Colour psychology is the theory that colours elicit reaction and in doing so shape behaviour. The colours you use in your branding drive an emotional response in your audience, whether they realise it or not.
What colours should you use in your advertising and why?
There is no “one size fits all” approach to use of colour in advertising. The right colour for your brand depends on your values and how you want to be perceived by your target audience.
For example, red is associated with energy, passion and appetite. So use red to highlight your call to action, creating a sense of urgency and action.
Brands that want to communicate trust, tranquillity and reliability use shades of blue. These attributes are especially important for brands in the financial, tech and health sectors so you’ll see a lot of blue in their comms.
According to colour psychology and theory, green has two apparently divergent associations: nature and money. Brands choose green to suggest financial wealth or sustainability. Green lends itself equally well to eco friendly brands and financial services.
If your brand is looking to promote a sense of affluence, luxury and exclusivity consider utilising purples, a shade that has long held associations with royalty.
The colour black evokes mystery, elegance and exclusivity. Marketers use grey and white to associate brands with maturity, elegance and authority. White also communicates purity and can be a powerful advertising tool when used cleverly.
What Happens if You Choose The Wrong Colourways?
The wrong colour choice can throw your whole campaign off. If your colours do not match your company values and your campaign objectives, customers may subconsciously feel discombobulated instead of energised and motivated.
If you want to convey a credible, authoritative company image you should stay away from pink for example as these tones are associated with whimsy and immaturity. Consumers might not recognise why a predominantly pink advert for a firm of solicitors jars, but it will! Similarly, a company that wants to express cheerfulness and excitement should steer clear of a black and grey palette.
If you get stuck, stick to blue. It’s the world’s favourite colour and has strong associations with trustworthiness. It’s not an accident that some of the world’s most famous brands have a blue logo. Facebook, GE, Visa, AmEx, Pepsi, Ford, P&G, PayPal, Samsung….
Finally, orange, our company colour symbolises optimism, energy and positivity, which we think sums up AJ rather well!
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