Ah, logos. They’re only one aspect of your company’s brand to be concerned about. Regardless, it’s still one of many important features. After all, your logo is one of the first things people see about your brand whether they’re visiting your website or seeing your business card for the first time. It’s the visual representation of your business’s finest qualities.

That’s why sometimes it’s so hard for us to watch businesses present a logo with colours or lack thereof that don’t actually represent their company properly, or they’re just so hard to look at because the colours clash or the font just isn’t right. In those cases, the renovation of a company logo is the best course of action to take.

Not everyone understands colours properly though, so this time we’re going to think like a designer and help you figure out which colours might best suit your company and brand.

Colour Meanings

For those who are curious or need a refresher on the subject, these are the typical meanings of colours when it comes to logos:

  • Red: energy, strength, and excitement.
  • Orange: joy and sunshine.
  • Yellow: happiness, intellect, and energy.
  • Green: nature, growth, and harmony.
  • Blue: depth, stability, loyalty, and wisdom.
  • Purple: luxury, nobility, dignity, and creativity.
  • Brown: stability.
  • White: safety and balance.
  • Black: mystery, elegance, and formality.

There are also meanings behind mixtures of colours and the various shades of the primary ones, such as:

  • Reddish brown: harvest and autumn.
  • Light red: passion, sensitivity, and love.
  • Dark red: courage, vigor, and willpower.
  • Pink: romance, love, and friendship.
  • Gold: prestige, wealth, and high quality.
  • Light yellow: freshness, intellect, and joy.
  • Light blue: health, healing, and softness.
  • Dark blue: knowledge, integrity, and power.
  • Aqua: emotional healing and protection.
  • Olive green: peace.
  • Silver: sleekness.

Examples of Successful Logos Using Colour Schemes

Say what you want about Coca-Cola, but its logo’s colour schemes were selected and designed the way it is for a reason. Its white lettering evoke its liquid form while displayed against a red background, thus proclaiming its energy and excitement. Coca-Cola knows its audience is usually in the younger demographic, hence its excellent choice in colour scheme.

Google’s logo uses different colours to make its letters pop, and it uses the basic colours of red, yellow, blue, and green to demonstrate its growth, dependability, excitement, and optimism—all traits you would normally find while using this search engine.

Apple’s logo is usually set as black or white depending on the devices it’s placed on, adding a sense of elegance to its overall simplistic design.

There are many, many other examples we could list, but that would take forever! Take a look at some of the most popular logos and you’ll understand why they have the colour schemes they have, then take another look at yours—do the colours you’ve selected reflect your brand properly? Or do they clash with the font and shapes you’ve selected as well?

Naturally your logo is not the only aspect to your company’s brand; there’s much more to it than that. If your logo or your overall brand is in need of an upgrade, it’s time to talk. Get in touch with us at V3 Media and we can discuss your branding and logo—no price required!