Contrast and colors in advertisement

In today’s marketing class with Tiina Hiob, we learned a lot about colors. Indeed, they have a great influence on our emotions and actions.

That is why companies most be careful with the color they choose for their image and in advertisement in order to evoke the desired message. Every color in the way they are chosen and exposed send different messages. In order to create a positive attraction, the colors in the advertisement must stimulate the viewers’ senses and make them feel good. Also, colors must be chosen considering the service or the product it represents.

Black and white can also be a great choice for creating a strong contrast. ‘’When used together, […] black and white can create a sense that a company is highly Professional.’’ (WiseGeek). Further more, using contrast is one of the techniques suggested by Tiina Hiob to highlight some elements of the advertisement.

For example, let’s look at the Smart Water advertisement. The black and white picture is a great mix between purity and elegance. Also, the accent of color, blue in this case, creates a contrast that attracts the eye on the most important elements. As mention by miss Hiob, the brand logo and brand promises must be the elements that emerge mainly form the image.

Furthermore, the color red is often chosen to accentuate a black and white scene. Indeed, it is a strong color that is eye-catching and while mix with black and white creates some professionalism. (Coke publicity).

Finally, we saw the effect that combinations of colors have on viewers. A brand that use plenty of colors in its advertisements gives the impression that there are many choices and that the brand is for everybody. In other words, it is ‘’easy to pick’’. For example, this advertisement (Vitamin Water) is really colorful and the color contrast demonstrates the diversity of products.

Source:

WiseGeek. (n.d). AdChoices. Retrieved from: http://www.wisegeek.org/what-are-the-best-colors-for-advertising.htm

Sophie Marcoux