So in class we learned about color psychology and it fascinated me because it showed how a minor detail can have a HUGE effect on a company's well-being. Now every restaurant logo I look at, I cannot help brainstrom reasons in my head as to why the company picked those colors.
Here is an article that I found that further explains why restaurants refuse to use blue in their logos and most restaurants use red:
"While blue is one of the most popular colors it is one of the least appetizing. Blue food is rare in nature. Food researchers say that when humans searched for food, they learned to avoid toxic or spoiled objects, which were often blue, black, or purple. When food dyed blue is served to study subjects, they lose appetite.
Green, brown, and red are the most popular food colors. Red is often used in restaurant decorating schemes because it is an appetite stimulant."
Read more: Color Psychology — Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/spot/colors1.html#ixzz1me5sPdBu
I want to direct this blog in a way that I want to analyze all my favorite restaurants' logos through color psychology and pathos.
#1 Panera is my favorite place for soups and salads (their broccoli cheddar is amazing)! What I love about Panera is that its food is healthy and natural. After researching the colors, I realized that the green in their logo is supposed to symbolize "nature" and promote their natural, good-for-you food. The dash of yellow in the center is supposed to be the attention-getter because people are naturally attracted to yellow. I've learned that yellow also increases concentration, which makes sense to put a dash of yellow in the center of a green logo so people can concentrate on the name and feel "good" about themselves for picking Panera.
#2 I am a coffee addict (3 or more cups a day!) and my favorite place to get a coffee from is Starbucks. Why do I trust this place so much? The green once again, is supposed to make it seem as if their coffee is all-natural and therefore increases my level of trust in the company because I feel better about buying good coffee. In addition, green can also be used for relaxation which makes sense for a coffee shop. I go to Starbucks to sit, relax, do some homework, and sip on a grande coffee - so their color matches with what a coffee shop is supposed to be. Lastly, the dash of black in the center is supposed to symbolize authority over any other coffee place and work up ethos in the audience to buy coffee from the best.
#3 Pinkberry is a NY-NJ area frozen yogurt restaurant (the best one I tried so far!) and once again the green in this logo is supposed to symbolize that the product is natural, healthy, and that we should not feel guilty for eating in. However, what makes this logo attractive is the pink swirl to the right. Pink is supposed to be a nurturing color and this makes sense because usually when people, especially girls, are upset they want to stuff their face with ice cream products and therefore the pink is saying "come here, I'll make you feel better."
Panera Bread is pretty awesome, especially their sandwiches. As for Starbucks, I am not a fan. I drink my coffee black, and a tall coffee at Starbucks is just wayyyyyy too bitter. Tastes more like motor oil to me than coffee. The other specialty drinks they have are at the opposite end of the spectrum, having far too much sugar in them. If I had to choose, I would take Dunkin' Donuts or 7Eleven coffee over Starbucks any day. I can't comment on Pinkberry, because I haven't been there yet. I will, however, take your word on it and try it out in the near future!
ReplyDeletePanera is so good. Your analysis on the colors they use in their logo really opened me up to see why I love them so much. The past couple times I have left home on break to come back here to State College, my family and I have had brunch at Panera. It is just such a nice place to sit down, relax and converse with each other as a family. We really do feel good when we choose Panera and because of the good food they have to offer. As for Starbucks and Pinkberry, I would have to say that I’m not an avid fan of Starbucks, but I do visit from time to time and Pinkberry sounds interesting. I must visit one whenever I am in the Jersey or NY area!
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