The use of the colour pink in branding and identity?

marcbubb

New Member
PINK

As a Graphic designer I have begun to notice a lot of companies using pink for there identity.

to name a few

Last minute.com

BBC iplayer

T-mobile

Northern Rock

What do other people think about all this pink branding in graphic design?

WHY are are alot of people using pink now in their designs and any personal opinions on the colour being used.
 
I am a BA(hons) Graphic design student currently studying at The Arts Institute at Bournemouth.

I am researching into the uses of the colour pink in branding and identity and would like to ask you a few questions on the subject

In my research I have found that pink can be a very contentious colour,invoking many different issues and emotions for people such as gender and sexual connotations.

1) Why did you or client choose the colour in creating the identity?

2) As a designer how do you feel about using the colour pink?

3) What Qualities does the colour bring to identities and what do you think its drawbacks might be?

4) Do you think the use in todays society of the colour pink in a companies brand could alienate customers who hold gender and sexual stereotypes about the colour? or may it be aimed at a specific target audience?

Any answers to these question will help me in my research and I would be very grateful if you could take a moment of your time to.
 
1) Why did you or client choose the colour in creating the identity?

I've not used pink as of yet in any designs I've done.

2) As a designer how do you feel about using the colour pink?

I think if used sparingly it can really bring an image to life. For example, on a predominantly gray-scale image using a 1px stroke of bright pink could work very well; at least in my head it does.

3) What Qualities does the colour bring to identities and what do you think its drawbacks might be?

Using the colour pink is a bold statement, and as such it stands out from the crowd. However when overused it can be very off putting. Depending on the use of pink the effect on the customer varies a little. If it's a full blown pink background item it's clearly aimed at the female market, whereas pink used in combination with black can look very sexy from a male perspective.

4) Do you think the use in todays society of the colour pink in a companies brand could alienate customers who hold gender and sexual stereotypes about the colour? or may it be aimed at a specific target audience?

I do think that it could alienate some customers. Some people will always see pink and immediately associate it with the female side. However, I don't think there would be enough people alienated by it to make it a worry.
 
thanx Xenonsoft some very gd pointss

i do feel that pink can look very good in design when set alongside 40% black they compliment eachother very well and the use of bold pink in northern rock logo off sets the harshness of the company name northern rock
and the masculine associations with the company.
so do you thiink that pink is a more gender accepted colour in design? that that is is losing some of its gender stereotypes within society?
 
I would agree people are changing their mind on pink. It's becoming more acceptable, whether that's down to clever design improvements or possibly related to viewing women differently I don't know.
 
think pink

I design book covers and there was a stage where I was designing pink covers usually with black as that's a good combination and the books sold very well. The most ambitious design I did was for an electronics book mainly aimed at a male audience. I had to fight to get my design approved because most of the editors said that it would put the male electronics audience off and it would be regarded as too feminine. It actually was one of the best sellers of that year. My theory was that my cover design would stand out from the rest of the electronics cover designs in the bookstore and hopefully change peoples view on pink cover design. I think pink's a very positive colour. Here's the link to the cover design on Amazon:

Amazon.co.uk: Newnes Dictionary of Electronics: S W Amos, Roger Amos: Books

I think the branding mentioned earlier by marcbubb is like that for the same reason. These companies require something that's new, different from the rest of the competition and pink certainly makes them stand out more! I think as designers it's our duty to come up with something that's new and hopefully enticing...so...think pink!!!



Greg
 
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