Quick Thought:

Did McDonald’s Choose Red and Yellow From A Psychological Standpoint?

When looking back on all the color choices over the years of businesses, most will either pick a dark blue or green, something that symbolizes strength and a solid foundation. Most would not think to pick two colors that so contrast one another and are really not great colors for a business, well until McDonald’s came along that is.

From a strict business standpoint red and yellow are unique and 98% of business won’t event attempt to use them in their color scheme when starting their marketing which makes them stand out and become more vibrant in the grand color scheme of the land.

But still why would McDonald’s choose these crazy contrasting colors for their golden arches and signage? Well the heart of the answer is not necessarily the uniqueness of the colors but more about the psychology of the two colors.

When McDonald’s was on the rise so were some of the great thinkers in cognitive and subconscious thought and with the rise of these minds came the study of color schemes and how the eye and mind recognizes them.

Ever wonder why fire trucks are red and taxi cabs are yellow?

Answer: What studies have shown are that the first two colors the eye processes and sends to the brain in the grand scheme of light and color processing are red and yellow.

So the two colors are very unique but the question I have for you is did McDonald’s choose these colors based on their unique nature or were Dick and Mac McDonald even smarter then they appear.

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