Using Red To Make A Powerful Logo Design

Here are some important facts about the color red that can give your logo a whole different look! Should you use it for your logo design? Let’s find out…

You may not be angry when you see red logos, but they most certainly grab your attention. There’s something about red that’s wired into our systems to respond to it. What is it about the color red that causes so many business to use it for themselves? Why are we drawn to it, and what secrets lie underneath its hot exterior? Today we’re looking at red, and finding out what makes it so powerful in logo design.
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Anger is just one of the emotions associated with red. It has a few other powerful associations to it that businesses have used to their advantage. We think of love and passion when we see red, so many technology companies have used it to imply their fervor for what they do. Speaking of love, retailers use red to tap into our desire for something. This color is an attention getter, making it the most popular choice for marketing. Red has always aroused hunger, that’s why most businesses in the fast food and grocery sectors use it for their logos. In fact, studies have shown that athletic teams with red jerseys statistically win more, especially in one-on-one sporting events (Spiegel Online).

In humanity’s earliest experiences, we’ve seen red in apples, fire, and our own blood. Each representing life in a different way. From these associations we derive desire, movement, and power from seeing red. It’s closely tied to love with our idea of perfectly symmetrical, crimson hearts. We “see red” when we’re angry because something we’re passionate about has been breached. No one gets mad over something they don’t love, do they? All these big, grand ideas are represented by this one color.

Red inspires patriotism when people see it, in fact, 77% of flags representing countries use red. The University of Rochester reports a study that shows men are more attracted to women that wear red. It is the second most visible color in the spectrum. Part of the science behind that is red focuses behind our retinas, which makes the lens grow convexly to pull it forward. This reaction creates a sense of movement when we see red.

Here are some adjectives we use to describe how we see red:

Dynamic
Powerful
Sexy
Stimulating
Exciting
Provocative
Passionate

If you had to choose three additives to describe your business, and two of them are on the list I mentioned above, then choose red as the primary color for your logo. When paired with black and white, it becomes seen as strong and classic. Think about the name of your business, any additional colors you would like to use with it, and where it will primarily be seen. Use this to your advantage so your business has the right kind of impact you are looking for. Using red will make your audience associate the listed words with your business.

I wouldn’t use red if your business needs to have a calming effect. If you are involved with anything to do with lower temperatures, red would be counter-intuitive. Using red to promote something peaceful would send the wrong message too. It’s important to know how people in general react to specific colors, so you have a deeper understanding of how they’ll see your business when you use them. That’s why I’m planning on some more color-focused article in the near future. Here are some recent contest winners that use red to their advantage: