Lesson 7: Advertising and the Press
Use of Color
Too many colors in an advert create the same problems as too many fonts. Unless your advert features a color photograph, you should stick to using just two or three colors (even if they include black or white). The most visually striking adverts are usually those which keep their color options simple. This applies to backgrounds, pictures, logos and text.
When choosing colors for an advert, think about what you want that advert to do. Adverts which use high-contrast colors (eg: yellow on black or orange on blue) stand out more and get more attention. They convey an energetic, youthful attitude. However, they may not appear very sophisticated, and may put off older, calmer people. Try to tailor your choice of colors to the advertised product or service and to your intended market. Look at magazines and newspapers to see which colors your competitors are using. You don't want your advert to be identical to theirs, but, unless you have a radical design outlook, you may be wary of being too different.
