Orange is an interesting colour in branding. As a warm colour, it is naturally enthusiastic but can be horribly misused when not understood. It has creative connotations and adventurous applications – though, like other warm colours, it can be tricky to use effectively.
This article is part of a series exploring colour psychology in branding and how it affects brand perception and moulds its image. Orange colour psychology presents many options for brands to promote feelings that resonate with their audience and create a direct connection.
Colour psychology is incredibly significant in branding. Where shapes prompt recognition, colour elicits an emotional response. Colour is how you create a connection with your audience, so getting it right is important for your brand identity.
Understanding Color Psychology
You’ve probably come across the concept of colour psychology. Very simply, people attribute meanings and feelings to colour based on several evolutionary, social, psychological and even physiological factors. These are commonly agreed upon (thanks in part to semiotics) but may have regional or cultural variations.
Thanks to the above factors, colours evoke different emotions and perceptions. Orange, for example, is commonly associated with autumn and fire, both giving feelings of warmth and comfort. It is also the colour of confidence, success, and even warning – using it correctly can create very different impressions.
In branding and marketing, colour psychology has a massive impact. The colours used for a brand’s visual identity or marketing collateral directly link to how a potential client feels about the brand. People tend to remember how things made them feel rather than facts and figures, so creating the right emotions is vital to branding.
That’s why your colour choice is so important – and colour psychology plays a huge role.
Focus on Orange Colour Psychology
Orange colour psychology can help create a bold impression in your branding. First, it’s important to break down what orange is usually associated with before looking in more detail at how to use it.
Orange is a secondary colour and is a warm colour. Warm colours are seen as exciting and hot, often being associated with fire and the sun. In the case of orange, a sense of change is expressed as it reflects the changing leaves in autumn.
Most people associate orange with excitement. It has a naturally enthusiastic feeling without being as aggressive as red. It also has a significantly playful feel, making it associated with creativity and imagination. This makes it excellent for dynamic brands that want to stand out and show a playful, creative side.
While playful tones may be the most obvious, other orange hues have more serious meanings. It is also a proud colour, assertive and confident in a way yellow cannot match on its own, without the open aggression of red. It also has a natural appeal, being evident in many fruits and vegetables as well as the changing leaves of autumn.
Check out the infographic below for some more facts about the colour orange.
Emotions and associations in orange colour psychology
Orange is often associated with confidence, energy and comfort. These associations reflect orange as a balance between red and yellow.
It’s also important to note that, like any colour, different hues create different emotional responses. Some examples of different orange hues and their uses include:
- Peach is orange with added white. It is modest and earnest, its lighter tone makes it less energetic and more approachable. This gives it a feeling of innocence, making it a good choice for beauty brands.
- Golden orange is a bold shade with a high-energy appeal. The bright, highly saturated shade gives a creative appeal and also ahs associations with value.
- Amber is somewhere in the middle of the brightness spectrum of oranges. It reflects confidence while also being a colour used to provide warning.
- Burnt amber is a darker shade. The less saturated tone provides a proudness and assertive nature that makes it less vibrant than other tones, instead commanding quiet attention.
- Earth orange starts moving towards brown, but retains some warmth and brightness. It has a more sophisticated feeling associated with strength and extroversion.
Examples of successful brands using Orange in their branding
Orange can be found in a number of famous brands. It is used to grab attention without being as aggressive as red.
Here are a few examples of recognisable logos that use orange.
Harley Davidson
Harley Davidson uses orange in a stark contrasting palette with black and white. This creates a bold feeling of adventure and risk-taking – leaning heavily into the ‘warning’ aspect of orange. It has an extroverted and social appeal, adding to a brand identity that focuses on an adventurous community.
Easyjet
Easyjet (part of the ‘easy’ brand family) uses a bright orange to show affordability and value. This reflects the brand’s positioning as a budget, no-frills option. Additionally, it has a strong social aspect, reflecting a desire for great customer service on a budget.
Firefox
The Firefox logo reflects its namesake, using a core orange to create a warm appeal. The use of the fox (showing cunning and wit) aligns well with the central orange colour, creating an optimistic, curious and creative appeal.
Orange in Branding
Orange’s associations with confidence and creativity make it an excellent choice for adventurous and creative brands. It fits well with brands that don’t take themselves too seriously because of its playful appeal.
Various big brands use different shades to excellent effect. Nickelodeon and Rockstar games use it in a playful capacity, matching their entertainment roots. Etsy uses orange to show creativity, while Home Depot has a darker tone that leans on the ‘warning and warming’ aspects.
It’s important to remember that orange can have some negative emotional associations. It can be seen as superficial, so it is extra important to make sure your brand is sincere if you use a lot of it. It can be seen as cheap if used to show value incorrectly. Ensure that if you are trying to use it to show affordability, you still create a professional image. Some shades can also be viewed as pessimistic. Therefore, it is often safer to stick with brighter tones to avoid this.
Orange also has different meanings across the world. In the Netherlands, it is associated with royalty and patriotism. Meanwhile, in Latin America, it has close ties to the sun and the earth, making it a more spiritual colour. In the Middle East, it is a colour of mourning, while in Japan, it is the colour of love. These associations are worth noting if you aim to have a worldwide brand.
Conclusion
Colour psychology is an important part of showing your brand’s character. When it comes to branding, simply picking a colour because you like it is not enough. Instead, think about the feelings and experiences you want to reflect to your audience.
For orange colour psychology, understanding how to use its attention-grabbing properties best is vital. Done well, it can draw eyes and promote action. Done poorly, your brand comes across as childish or attention-seeking and offputting!
Overall, orange is an excellent choice for brands that want to appear creative and different in their market. It works particularly well for youth-oriented products and services but has a variety of other uses that can make your brand really stand out.
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