�  Physical  response:  stimulant  effect;  can  increase  blood  pressure,  respiration,  heartbeat,  and  pulse  rate  �  Positive  associations:  excitement,  energy,  passion,  love,  desire,  speed,  strength,  power,  heat  �  Negative  associations:  aggression,  danger,  fire,  blood,  war,  violence  �  In  the  financial  arena,  red  symbolizes  a  negative  direction  �  Red  is  the  color  most  associated  with  the  Soviet  Union  during  communist  reign  �  Companies/Brands:  Coke,  American  Red  Cross,  American  Heart  Association    

   

     �  There  is  usually  strong  positive  or  negative  association  to  orange  and  true  orange  generally  elicits  a    

stronger  “love  it”  or  “hate  it”  response  than  other  colors  do  �  Physical  response:  stimulates  appetite  �  Positive  associations:  energy,  balance,  enthusiasm,  warmth,  vibrancy,  expansion,  flamboyancy,    

demanding  of  attention  �  Negative  associations:  representative  of  gluttony  in  Christianity  �  Companies/Brands:  Orange  Crush,  Tropicana,  Home  Depot,  Jamba  Juice  

   

   �  Positive  associations:  joy,  happiness,  optimism,  idealism,  imagination,  hope,  sunshine,  summer,  gold,    

philosophy,  friendship    �  Negative  associations:  betrayal,  dishonesty,  cowardice,  jealousy,  covetousness,  deceit,  illness,  hazard    �  Representative  of  greed  in  Christianity;  in  medical  terms,  a  yellow  flag  indicates  a  quarantine  �  Companies/Brands:  Midas,  Stanley  Tools,  McDonald’s    

   

     �  Green  occupies  more  space  in  the  spectrum  visible  to  the  human  eye  than  most  colors,  and  is  second    

only  to  blue  as  a  favorite  color    �  Green  is  the  pervasive  color  in  the  natural  world  �  The  natural  greens,  from  forest  to  lime,  are  seen  as  tranquil  and  refreshing,  with  a  natural  balance  of    

cool  and  warm  (blue  and  yellow)  undertones  �  Physical  response:  soothes,  relaxes  mentally/physically;  helps  alleviate  depression,  nervousness,    

anxiety;  offers  a  sense  of  renewal,  self-­‐control,  harmony    �  Positive  associations:  peace,  ecology,  nature,  environment,  health,  good  luck  (St.  Patrick),  renewal,    

youth,  spring,  generosity,  fertility,  vigor    �  Negative  associations:  jealousy,  inexperience,  envy,  misfortune  �  In  several  religions,  green  is  the  color  associated  with  resurrection  and  regeneration  

�  Green  was  the  favorite  color  of  George  Washington    �  Green  is  the  color  used  for  night-­‐vision  goggles  because  the  human  eye  is  most  sensitive  to  and  able  to    

discern  the  most  shades  of  that  color  �  Companies/Brands:  H&R  Block,  BP      

   

     �  Blue  is  the  overwhelming  favorite  color  �  The  color  of  ocean  and  sky,  blue  is  perceived  as  a  constant  in  our  lives    �  Physical  response:  as  the  collective  color  of  the  spirit,  it  invokes  rest  and  can  cause  the  body  to    

produce  chemicals  that  are  calming;  it  also  suppresses  appetite.    Over  the  past  decade,  scientists    have  reported  the  successful  use  of  blue  light  in  the  treatment  of  a  wide  variety  of  psychological  problems,  including  addictions,  eating  disorders,  and  depression.  

�  Positive  associations:  trustworthiness,  dependability,  commitment,  peace,  tranquility,  cool,  calm,    stability,  harmony,  unity,  trust,  truth,  confidence,  conservatism,  security,  cleanliness,  order,  loyalty,  sky,  water,  technology  

�  Negative  associations:  depression  �  Blue  is  the  favored  color  choice  for  toothbrushes  �  Owls  are  the  only  birds  that  can  see  the  color  blue  �  People  are  often  more  productive  in  blue  rooms  �  Companies/Brands:  Blue  Man  Group,  Blue  Cross/Blue  Shield,  Ford,  The  Gap,  IBM,  Intel,  Pepsi    

   

   

�  Purple  embodies  the  balance  of  red’s  stimulation  and  blue’s  calm  �  Positive  associations:  royalty,  nobility,  spirituality,  ceremony,  mystery,  transformation,  wisdom,    

enlightenment  �  Negative  associations:  cruelty,  arrogance,  mourning;  purple  is  representative  of  pride  in  Christianity.      �  Violet  has  the  shortest  wavelength  of  the  spectrum;  behind  it,  the  invisible  ultraviolet.  �  A  man  with  the  rank  of  Roman  Emperor  was  referred  to  as  “The  Purple”—a  name  that  came  from  the    

color  of  the  robe  he  wore.    Julius  and  Augustus  Caesar,  Emperors  of  Rome,  both  decreed  that  only  the  Emperor  could  wear  purple.    When  Nero  became  Emperor,  the  wearing  of  purple  and  even  the  sale  of  purple  was  punishable  by  death.  

�  Companies/Brands:  Crown  Royal,  Nexium,  Yahoo!    

   

         �  Physical  response:  bright  pinks  foster  energy  and  can  increase  the  blood  pressure,  respiration,    

heartbeat,  and  pulse  rate.      �  Pink  makes  us  crave  sugar,  which  is  why  pastries  taste  better  when  they  come  out  of  pink  boxes  or    

served  on  pink  plates  (it  only  works  with  sweets).  �  Positive  associations:  confidence,  love/romance,  caring,  tenderness,  acceptance,  calm  �  Negative  associations:  um  .  .  .  �  Pink  has  been  used  in  prison  holding  cells  to  effectively  reduce  erratic  behavior  �  In  Japan,  the  color  pink  has  a  masculine  association.  The  annual  spring  blooming  of  the  pink-­‐  

blossomed  cherry  trees  (the  Sakura)  is  said  to  represent  the  young  Japanese  warriors  who  fell  in    battle  in  the  prime  of  life  (the  Samurai).  

�  Companies/Brands:  Pepto-­‐Bismol,  Mary  Kay,  T-­‐Mobile,  Thomas  Pink  (based  in  London,  international    reputation  for  the  finest  luxury  shirts  and  accessories),  Owens  Corning  Insulation                    

 

   

     �  It’s  the  color  of  earth  and  is  associated  with  all  things  natural  or  organic  �  Physical  response:  provides  a  feeling  of  wholesomeness    �  Positive  associations:  earth,  stability,  hearth,  home,  outdoors,  reliability,  comfort,  endurance,    

simplicity,  and  comfort    �  Negative  associations:  filth  �  In  India,  brown  is  the  color  of  mourning  because  it  resembles  dying  leaves  �  Companies  use  brown  paper  to  denote  a  natural  product  �  Companies/Brands:  UPS,  Hershey’s    

   

     �  Gray  is  controlled  and  inconspicuous  and  is  considered  a  color  of  conservatism  and  compromise,    

perhaps  because  it  sits  between  the  extremes  of  black  and  white  �  Positive  associations:  security,  reliability,  classicism,  refinement,  intelligence,  knowledge,  wisdom,    

modesty,  dignity,  maturity,  authority,  solidity,  practicality  �  Negative  associations:  old  age,  sadness,  boredom,  pessimism  �  Gray  is  representative  of  mourning  and  repentance  in  Christianity  �  Gray  is  associated  with  the  intellect;  the  brain  is  composed  of  “gray  matter”    �  The  human  eye  can  distinguish  about  500  shades  of  gray  

 

     �  Positive  associations:  sophistication,  formality,  elegance,  wealth,  authority,  power  (tuxedos,    

limousines,  judge’s  robes,  priests’  attire)  �  Negative  associations:  mystery,  fear,  evil,  unhappiness,  sadness,  remorse,  anger,  anonymity,    

mourning,  death  (Western  cultures),  void,  emptiness    

     �  Doctors  don  white  coats,  brides  traditionally  wear  white  gowns—both  represent  purity.    (Not  sure    

what  a  bride  in  a  white  lab  coat  symbolizes.)  �  Positive  associations:  reverence,  purity,  birth,  simplicity,  cleanliness,  peace,  humility,  precision,    

innocence,  neutrality,  youth,  winter,  snow,  good,  marriage  �  Negative  associations:  sterility,  cold,  clinical      �  A  white  flag  is  universally  recognized  as  a  symbol  of  truce  �  In  the  Bible,  white  represents  the  color  of  light  and  is  an  emblem  of  the  divine  �  More  shades  of  white  are  available  commercially  than  any  other  color