Warm colors and cold colors between brand identity and food marketing

How to choose the color of a brand in food? Here are the meanings of warm colors and cool colors

The eye also wants its part. Is it just a cliché? Try telling those who invented the most popular food brands or fast food chains: they'd be ready to eat you! As in any other area, food actors also prepare communication and marketing strategies to impress consumers. On the other hand, you know, you also eat with your eyes. So what is the label followed by the labels of our favorite foods? How to choose the color of a food brand? Should we put warm colors or cold colors on the table? Let's find out.

Everyone likes to eat, but that's not enough. In addition to satisfying the palate, we want the experience to be seasoned with packaging in line with the spirit of the evening or the right atmosphere of the place. Have you ever wondered why the most famous food brands use warm colors like red and yellow, while for more sophisticated products they prefer cooler shades like black? The choice of color for the brand identity of a commercial reality is always the result of a carefully studied recipe by a team of consultants who know the right ingredients to focus on.

Brand identity color in food: warm or cold colors?

Whether it is logo design, brand identity, marketing or interior design of premises, we can see that all the best brands use bright colors, whether it is to increase our appetite or to entice us to try a product. The most popular colors are red, yellow and green: a mix of warm and cold colors that could make us think that one is as good as the other. But it is not like that.

The psychology of colors teaches us that there is a symbolism of colors well rooted in every culture; so ingrained that it acts almost unconsciously in people. And if we talk about a sphere as similar to instincts as food, then we are not surprised that the careful selection of color for a new brand is decisive. From red to green, to blue and black, all warm and cold colors can characterize a brand identity based on the perception to be transmitted. Here are the colors we should choose based on the feeling we want to give our consumers.

How to choose the color of a brand in the food sector?

Warm colors: yellow and orange

Among the warm colors, yellow cannot be missing: an uplifting color that stimulates the appetite and transmits happiness. And what can make us happier than food? This color can transform the sensory experience into a moment of joy. This is the color that our brain processes the fastest. For this reason, but also because it releases serotonin, yellow is often chosen by fast food and product brands that aim at an impulsive consumer decision.

The younger brother of yellow, orange is a warm and energizing color that conveys optimism. It is youthful, it stimulates the senses and creativity; for this reason it is among the most chosen for snack brands such as Reese’s. Obviously you are wondering: "what about the orange juice?". Needless to say: the packs of Fanta and fruit juice can only be orange.

The warm color par excellence: red

Red is the color of passion, excitement and energy; it is no coincidence that it is the flagship of food marketing. In the context of food, a red logo stimulates appetite by turning on neurons in the hypothalamus and thereby increasing nerve impulses and heart rate. This color conveys a sense of urgency that pushes the consumer to a quick response: that is to eat. Furthermore, red immediately evokes a slice of meat or a particularly sweet and juicy product of the earth ... which (hope the brands) could make your mouth water!

And at this point it is not surprising that red and yellow, as the secondary color of the brand, have been chosen by food giants such as McDonald's , Burger King , Pizza Hut and KFC (just to name the first ones that come to mind).

Cold colors: green

Moving on to cold colors, green is undoubtedly the pearl of food communication, especially in consideration of the latest “green” trends. The use of this color lends itself to an infinite number of messages in the Food. First of all, immediately recalling nature and the environment, it is the obligatory choice for fresh products, organic or vegan brands.

Always in relation to its correlation with nature, the color green also arouses a feeling of relaxation, harmony and creativity. For this reason it is not uncommon for it to be used by brands or clubs that want to invite consumers to relax with their products or in their spaces. The Starbucks brand has made it their own brand philosophy, subconsciously suggesting enjoying a coffee seated.

A further suggestion conventionally associated with this cold color is well-being. More and more brands that want to launch a healthy message are inserting green in the palette of their visual identity, from the logo to the product packaging.

McDonald's and its marketing and communications team are familiar with consumer trends and above all the psychology of colors. This is why some of the chain's restaurants were restyled in shades of green: to emphasize the most recent ecological and health-conscious company policies.

Cold color: blue

Another cool color used in food communication is blue, which conveys security and trust. In the world of food it should be unappetizing, since it inhibits hunger; in fact, being an uncommon color in the world of natural foods, it unconsciously evokes the idea of spoiled food. Yet some product marketing strategies can turn this limitation into a strength. The brands, packaging and labels of low-calorie foods evoke the decline in appetite aimed at weight loss. Another context in which the blue color is functional is in brands linked to the fish world or in fish restaurants: the reference to the sea and to the fresh product is a must for the Findus. And precisely the freshness is the reason for the success of blue even in companies that produce bottled water or milk.

Black and white

The symbolism of white is linked to the concepts of purity and simplicity. In the food sector they translate into few and fresh ingredients. Consumers expect white packaging when they are looking for products like milk, cheese and yogurt. However, in food graphic design, white is usually used as a secondary color.

Long considered the black sheep of the family, today black is making its mark in logos, brands and food packaging. Marketers, consultants and graphic designers have understood how this color is unparalleled in conveying a sense of luxury and refinement to the public. This means that, applied to the Food sector, the perception of black by the consumer arouses a feeling of greater value, of high quality. Furthermore, the presence of black in the visual elements of a package or a logo immediately suggests a niche product. An example of clever use of black is the Jack Daniels sauce.

Cold and warm colors in food graphic design

In conclusion, the logo and the visual identity of a food-related brand influence consumer behavior. So choosing the right color is essential to achieve your goal. Finding the perfect combination is not that easy: the risk of sending the wrong messages is under the table, since we are dealing with collective unconscious suggestions.

How to do? The best solution is to rely on a graphic designer who does not limit himself to choosing compatible colors for the logo, but offers real advice for the brand identity of the company. It is in fact essential to take into account the corporate values, the characteristics of the products or the experience that a place wants to offer its customers; just as it is necessary to analyze the brand of the competitors, the target audience and the applications of the brand. All these factors must be considered at every stage of the design, starting with the choice of the color treatment itself: saturated, darkened, intensified or illuminated? The decision can influence the perception of the brand.

To be sure of making the right choice, however, it is necessary to turn to a graphic designer and not to an amateur graphic designer, who would probably lack the awareness of having to develop a brand project that can be declined in menus, posters, gadgets and packaging. Furthermore, in the case of a novice freelancer, the mistakes would not be limited to choosing the wrong colors, but could concern the creation of the logo Professional Logo Design Agency in USA.