This post is a part of a series on logo colors. From red logos to brown logos, you can learn about logos of all colors of the rainbow in our previous posts.
What does a black logo represent?
Typically, a brand’s dominant color aligns closely with its values and personality. Color can carry a lot of weight in business use, so it’s important to understand both the positive and negative characteristics of the color black and the traits associated when designing logos in black.
Black can be surprisingly mysterious. While you may often hear people refer to the term “basic black,” the color black can be quite crafty and carry with it hidden meanings or messages. It can suggest aggressiveness, power, and discipline. It can also be associated with sophistication, temptation, affluence, high-end luxury brands, and success.
By using black in a business logo, you can convey authority, strength, formality, and power. Black logos can also reflect negativity, conservatism, and shrewdness.
When used in packaging, black can create a powerful and impressive effect, even making products seem more stylish or luxurious.
Brands that use logos in black are usually secure and deep-rooted. They don’t feel a need to call a lot of attention to themselves. They may believe that their reputation speaks for them and they don’t need colors to convey their power, stability, and value.
Color and your brand personality
Google the words the psychology of color and you’ll get about 185,000,000 results. Numerous psychologists have studied colors and the emotions and reactions associated with them over many years.
It should come as no surprise to anyone why branding and marketing professionals spend a considerable amount of time and money examining color and design options, understanding that it has the potential for significant impact on consumer perception, buying decisions, and the future success of the overall brand.
Studies have shown that color has the capacity to increase brand recognition by up to 80%, not to mention elicit certain emotions and even affect mood and physical health. A business’ color palette is an important element of the overall visual brand.
According to Jennifer Aaker, a psychologist, and professor at Stanford, a brand personality has five dimensions. Identified as “The Big Five,” the dimensions are sincerity, excitement, competence, sophistication, and ruggedness.
Based on this research, brands may have some element of several of these human characteristics and one of them is typically the dominant dimension. Each dimension has facets and traits associated with them. When it is determined what personality traits you want your brand to communicate, your color choice should align with those characteristics.
Understanding your brand’s personality and selecting the right color palette to complement and support those personality traits is one of the most crucial decisions marketers and branding professionals can make.
Decisions about color and visual branding should be about your company values and the kinds of connections you want your audience to make with your brand. They should not be based on what appeals to you personally. It also goes without saying that a good deal of consumer and target audience research should go into building your brand and making decisions on the visual brand.
Brands using black logos
All this reference to color and emotion is interesting because black is actually not a color, but the absorption of all colors. Black is the absence of visible light. All of that aside, black makes for a striking and potent logo. Often uncomplicated in design, black logos demonstrate independence, simplicity, seriousness, and dignity.
High-end luxury brands
Timeless black is a popular choice for many high-end luxury brands. A symbol of elegance and affluence, black logos work well for companies like Gucci, Prada, Chanel, Michael Kors, Coach, Cartier, and Prada, to name just a few.
Information and technology brands
Black suggests power, authority, seriousness and presents itself as very modern and polished. It’s often the choice for well-established technology and information giants. Strong brands like Apple, Sony, Motorola, the New York Times, ABC, BBC, and others have consistently used black logos over the years.
Well-established athletic brands
Because black is often associated with strength, discipline, seriousness, protection, and confidence, it is also a popular choice for athletic companies like Nike, Under Armour, Adidas, and Puma.
Consumer decisions are often motivated by brands, logos, and colors. Make sure your logo and your color palette are in line with your brand’s values in order to communicate the right message to your target audience.
To amplify impact and brand recognition your logo should appear clearly and consistently in everything you do. From signage to invoicing, business cards, advertising, packaging and across all digital channels. Consistent branding is the cornerstone of a strong brand.
Every experience a consumer has with your brand is an important piece of their overall perception and relationship with your brand. Consistency throughout the brand experience builds loyalty and trust with your audience!
Want to test out logo colors? Use our free logo maker to try different colors on your design.
