Colors Count. A Lesson in Branding Psychology from Reservoir Dogs
One of my favorite directors of all time is Quentin Tarantino. His ability to capture the act of violence in such a prolific way has always fascinated me. The movie that ranks at the top of my list he’s made is Reservoir Dogs.
Reservoir Dogs is about a group of thieves assemble to pull off the perfect diamond heist. It turns into a bloody ambush when one of the men turns out to be a police informer. As the group begins to question each other’s guilt, the heightening tensions threaten to explode the situation before the police step in.
Now, where am I going with this? One scene stands out because it is relevant to branding in the business world. The men are given aliases to ensure that their identity stays confidential. They are given names that symbolize colors. See below the reaction they have when given the names.
Mr. Pink is not too happy, is he? Why? Because being a male-dominated environment, and having the most feminine color doesn’t fit in.
Second, you see Tarantino calling out his Mr. Brown name, and making associations with shit. It’s because the color has an earthy feeling, earthy makes us think of dirt, dirty makes us think of gross, gross things like “shit”.
Finally, you’ll notice when the boss states that most of the men always fight over being “Mr. Black.” This is because black is a color that symbolizes authority, power, evil, and mystery. All of which align perfectly for an undercover thief looking to gain wealth through violence.
Many professionals in business miss this subtly when creating their brand, and content. So if you’re creating a new business, or need to rebrand one then make sure the colors represent what your values are.
Below is a link to an infographic covering all colors.
I hope this helps you make a “killer” brand!
