When he arrived in Southern France in March 1888, Vincent Van Gogh immediately wrote a letter to his brother, Theo: “The sun dazzles me and goes to my head, a sun, a light that I can only call yellow, sulphur yellow, lemon yellow, golden yellow. How lovely yellow is!”
Yellow pigments derived from clay soils rich in ochre were used as early as 45,000BCE for decorating human bodies and cave walls. In ancient Egypt, the bodies of the gods were painted in vivid yellow to resemble gold, “the flesh of the sun”.
But negative associations of yellow began to dominate from the 14th century as it
became the colour of “envy, jealousy, lying, dishonour and treason”. Once the colour of the gods, yellow became the “colour of deception”. Executioners were often dressed in yellow and in art Judas often wore a yellow robe. Lunatic asylums were painted yellow in central Europe and sex workers wore yellow to draw attention in the dim light of street lamps.
It's a colour that stands out. It’s the colour of jersey worn by the lead cyclist in the Tour de France (a tradition that began in 1919 because the race sponsor was L’Auto, a newspaper printed on yellow paper). But has yellow become a victim of its early dubious past. Do we still latch onto yellow as being cowardice and demonised, or do we celebrate its creativity, optimism, playfulness and stand out?
I guess that can be answered in the choosing of the brands of today and there are plenty to go at. McDonald’s with its famous golden arches; the ‘M’ stands for McDonald’s, but the rounded ‘m’ represents mummy’s mammaries, according to the design consultant and psychologist Louis Cheskin. Red is stimulating and associated with appetite and energy, while yellow is associated with happiness and friendliness. The arches symbolise stability, a place where customers can relax and enjoy a burger. People from China to South Africa recognise this logo because of its simplicity.
Other famous yellow brands or their colourways include Shell, Lays, UPS, Ikea, Colman’s, Kodak and Pringles. All very different, but with the commonality of yellow, which in its raw state is the colour of sunlight and has the power to lift our spirits. Business brands that use it in their branding are typically trying to evoke strong senses to do with joy, happiness and optimism, often linking these to the particular experience they offer a customer.
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