MELLOW YELLOW SELLS

Have you ever noticed how prevalent the colour yellow is in the visually cluttered supermarket environment ? Experts say that yellow is more visible than other colours in the spectrum. Certainly if you look at the accompanying video clip yellow stands out most prominently and blue is a very recessive colour in the relatively dimly lit supermarket. Whatever possessed Coles to issue blue uniform shirts to their staff is beyond me – maybe it was so they would blend in ? It is also very corporate, 'unfriendly', and unwelcoming.

Coming back to yellow, you can see how packaging designers would look to this colour. Not only does it stand out, it is warm, friendly and engaging, and suggests health and vitality. It also carries value connotations, especially when black type is used in bold on yellow backgrounds - which does, however, limit it's application for premium products. The PAK ' N SAVE brand in New Zealand is an outstanding example of the power of yellow when executed well.

Red/orange is a mixed bag in the store – often the red is too dark, the orange/ tomato red stands out a lot more.

Food for thought for those designing in-store,signage POS and packaging.