The Power of Black: Why Brands Use the Color Black

Discover why brands use the color black for their logos & marketing materials & how it conveys feelings of power & elegance.

The Power of Black: Why Brands Use the Color Black

Black logos, especially word brand logos, are frequently used in luxury fashion brands. It takes a bit of design finesse to create that high-end look, but black can help make your brand feel like a luxury brand. Too much black in a design can appear heavy or gloomy because of black's connection to death and darkness.

It's the color associated with power, elegance, magic and fear.

It can be creepy or classic, and it can be used to represent a whole spectrum of meanings in bold and powerful ways. In this color psychology series, we'll discover why the color black is important in our daily lives and how we interact with this color subliminally.

Black is very bold, but that's certainly not a bad thing. It is a color that leaves a very powerful and striking mark and can give a feeling of superiority and strength. I find it fascinating to see a brand logo in black, whether it's used for elegance, power, or strong presence, it can easily resonate with these brand characteristics. Delving deeper into the perception of black, it is used for more than just denoting power and is equally used for its classic and elegant appeal. In fashion, the well-known “little black dress” is considered elegant and, in some ways, is considered more luxurious than a colorful dress. In stark contrast to the positive associations of black, the color black can have an unwelcoming and threatening feel.

Not surprisingly, color is used to represent death and that the custom of wearing black at a funeral dates back to the Roman Empire. This tradition began when the Romans wore dark robes as a symbol of their mourning and it remains a tradition that is still used a lot today in Western culture. The connection between the color black and death is reflected even in our current terms and is used to describe comedy of a taboo nature. Black comedy, or black comedy, is a comic style that uses serious themes, such as pain or death, as the central focus to base its humor. Leaving associations aside, black is the color of the text used in all important documentation, since it has the highest contrast with white, which means it is extremely readable.

You'll notice that most government websites and materials use this combination because of its clarity. On the brand, a black logo can look elegant, yet powerful, and is used for its clean, strong and unadorned look. Choosing a brand's color can have a powerful effect. It's the first aspect people see in a logo and, as we've discovered, it can have a powerful effect on how people interpret and understand your brand. Below is a collection of 10 leading brands that use black to their advantage.

It can be summarized that all of these share some similar characteristics; they are all bold and direct, they represent quality and trust in their personalities, perhaps they resonate with the personality of the “little black dress”? Do you have more black data? Share your stories with us. Black is a color used by retailers such as Chanel and Nike. Chanel uses black for its logo and has several black and white images on its website to maintain a uniform appearance. Once you start browsing their website, a thick black top navigation background appears. They use a black font in their graphics for images and for text.

Notably, their call to action is also black. Many retailers in the fashion niche, especially, use black calls to action that contrast well against a white background. Nike also uses a black, white and gray color scheme for its website. Your logo and font are black throughout your website. Thus, make the website easy to read. Like Chanel, their calls to action are also black, which gives visual emphasis to add the item to your “bag” (cart).

The use of a black and yellow brand logo means that the negative connotations of either color can be counteracted. For example, some think yellow is a childish color, but this is balanced by the elegance of black. On the other hand, black can be negatively associated with emptiness or sadness, which is balanced by the joy and warmth of yellow. In addition, the contrast of the black and yellow branding makes the logo stand out and attract attention without appearing too loud or annoying bright. Given the absence of colors, black can still be a powerful color to include in the brand.

Black is traditionally seen as a symbol of professionalism and seriousness. However, it can also be used to elicit feelings of elegance, substance and power. Brands that choose black seek to make a powerful statement and convey a sense of authority and respectability. The black and yellow brand uses a bright shade to attract attention, while the black tone maintains a more elegant and formal look. McDonald's uses black and yellow brand colors in its logo and marketing materials to convey a joyful and happy emotion.

. .

Cathleen Wheeley
Cathleen Wheeley

Passionate communicator. Unapologetic food fan. Incurable social media nerd. Friendly tv junkie. General beer lover. Typical tv guru.

Leave Reply

Required fields are marked *