What’s in a Color?

Colour is essential to any company. Many businesses have become synonymous with their signature color. It's a crucial part of branding, colour invokes feelings that are hard to convey with words alone. 

Tiffany & Co.'s logo consists of the company name in a specific font surrounded by their signature blue. It seems a simply designed logo but the branding is in the colour. Tiffany & Co. is recognized around the world by their classic Tiffany Blue. Today, you can find Tiffany Blue on virtually anything from iPhone cases to shoes. Although they can't match the exact shade of Tiffany Blue, its near impossible to tell the difference. Tiffany Blue represents creativity and glamour, many people have been known to walk into a Tiffany & Co. store just to ask if they can buy a bag. When Tiffany released their line of handbags a few years ago, the best sellers were the ones made of Tiffany Blue leather. The most coveted piece of jewelry sold by the company is the breathtaking Tiffany Blue Diamond ring. There are an array of charms and keys with a Tiffany Blue enamel finish that are a bit more reasonably priced. 

Valentino trademarked his favourite shade of red to give him exclusive rights. He also created a line of clothing called Valentino Red. Valentino's trademark red is known as Rosso Valentino. Red is an empowering colour that reflects the Italian heritage of the brand and the vibrancy of the Italian lifestyle. “Women usually prefer to wear black at events because it makes them feel safe, however, if there’s one woman wearing red, she will inevitably be the eye-catcher of the evening. It’s as though the room is suddenly illuminated- simply perfect for a grand-entrance” - Valentino Garavani. 

Valentino Dresses in Rosso Valentino

Holt Renfrew’s signature magenta is a representation of the company’s iconic past. Magenta contains the passion, power, and energy of red, restrained by the introspection and quiet energy of violet, which is ideal for their clientele and the fashions they sell. For their 175th anniversary, Holt Renfrew celebrated with specially designed limited edition pieces from Christian Louboutin, Giorgio Armani, Michael Kors, and many more. Deborah Lippmann released an exclusive Holt Renfrew Magenta Nail Lacquer, Diet Coke designed limited edition bottles dressed up in the classic Holt Renfrew hue, & Alice and Olivia designed peplum dress in the signature colour. 





Mr. Louboutin wished to trademarked his famous red soles because of how often they were being copied. In 2011, Christian Louboutin filed a trademark infringement against Yves Saint Laurent. However, the Judge denied the request to stop the sales of shoes with red soles by Yves Saint Laurent. Louboutin's legendary red trademark is just an example of how colour is being used to brand companies. 

Can you spot the difference? YSL's take on the classic red soles

The iconic red soled Christian Louboutin heels

Many companies could highly benefit from the recent change in branding. It isn't about just having a attractive logo, it has to be more personal. Colour can represent many feelings and emotions, which is the ultimate goal of branding. Branding gives human attributes to objects and products and there is no better way to show what your product means than by giving it a signature colour. 

- Jordana