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Posts Tagged ‘automotive’

Best and Worst Truck Color Names

22nd Sep. '08 • Color Names • Tags: ,

Filed as Just posted

Best and Worst Color Name for Trucks

Although this was posted a couple of months ago I just happened across it this morning and thought you’d enjoy it as much as I did.

From Best and Worst Truck Color Names

Unfortunately, while making sure their paint colors stay unique from their competitors’, what often happens is trucks and SUVs get saddled with truly awful color names. Here are some of our favorites, which really were offered on trucks in the recent past. The colors might not be bad, but imagine bragging to buddies about your new Mocha Frost 4×4. 

Here’s his list of the worst names: (more…)   SensationalColor.com

What Your Car Color Reveals About Your Psyche

19th Jun. '08 • Products & Packaging Color • Tags: , , , , , ,

Filed as Color fun

U.S. News reports that “People who own emerald green automobiles…have the most positive attitude about the course of their own lives. Dark blue and silver are other colors chosen by upbeat people.”

The article goes on to say that, “Red supposedly connotes an aggressive, high-speed personality, while yellow, theoretically, is for folks with sunny dispositions. But survey data show that people who drive red or yellow cars have below-average confidence. And black cars, supposedly a sign of power and elegance, are driven by the most downbeat drivers of all.” (more…)   SensationalColor.com

‘Green’ going blue

14th Jan. '08 • Trends • Tags: , , , ,

Filed as Kate Smith

‘Green’ has become synonymous with the environmental movement so naturally companies around the globe are using the term ‘green’ and the color green to communicate that their practices and products are environmentally friendly.

Overuse of this color however coupled with the fact that many companies that claim to be ‘green’ do not in fact follow environmentally sound practices (also known as ‘greenwashing’) has reduced the positive impact of this color.

Companies looking to differeniate thenselves are choosing to use blue to communicate their commitment to the environment and as Ann Mack of JWT put it so beautifully, “represent a much broader spirit of good citizenship”.

With growning concerns over having sufficient clean water and clean air to support the global population blue, a color associated with the the ocean and sky, is a natural choice.

Add to this the fact that blue is seen as trustworthy, dependable, and committed and it simply makes sense that forward thinking companies like Mercedes-Benz that want to distance thenselves from ‘greenwashing’ and be seen above the glut of green have chosen to incorporate blue into their ‘green’ marketing. For example Mercedes-Benz coine the term Bluetec for their clean diesel fuel technology.

VW also uses blue. BlueMotion badge is an environmental sub-brand, denoting the most efficient model in each VW car range. But it’s not just automakers but also the French government that are going blue rather than green.

Blue will not replace green as the color of nature but in 2008 the color will be seen with closer associations to the enviroment and global issues.

Blue will also be a color that is influencial in many other areas. Pantone named blue the color of the year for 2008 and as we ushered in the new year many hues of blue from sky to navy were already appearing in home and fashion stores everywhere.

Related links:

Pantone 2008 color of the year…

Automakers going green with blue…

Are consumers being greenwashed…

Health conscious buyers attracted to blue…

JWT predicts trends to watch in 2008…   SensationalColor.com

Silver Tops Charts as Most Popular Vehicle Color…

20th Nov. '07 • Trends • Tags: , , , , , , ,

Filed as Kate Smith

… but around the globe other colors are gaining on the front-runner.

Black, a color that held the top spot on the charts for years has regained its popularity and other hues that are brighter and appeal to niche markets are also stepping up to steal some of the limelight.

According to PPG Industries, a leading manufacturer of transportation coatings globally, silver held the top position as the most popular car color.

2007 Color Ranking
Silver 31.5% [down from '06 ranking of 33.0%]
Black 18.0% [up from '06 ranking of 15.4%]
White 12.5%
Blue 12.4%
Red 8.8%
Naturals (gold, orange and brown tones) 6.6%
Other/niche market colors 5.9%
Green 3.8%

It appears that while many of us want our vehicles to be “green” we don’t prefer them to be painted that color.Sensational Color; Sensational Colour   SensationalColor.com

Black Cars Coming on Strong in the UK

20th Apr. '07 • Products & Packaging Color • Tags: , , ,

Filed as Just read

Not only are brand new black cars storming up the sales league among customers, second-hand black cars are commanding a £500 price premium over other colours.

“UK sales of new silver cars fell substantially in 2006, while sales of black cars grew to such an extent that it has now nudged blue out of second place. “We appear to be witnessing the rapid beginning of the end for Britain’s love affair with silver cars” said Mike Orford of car company SEAT, who has tracked the trend away from ‘prestige’ silver and towards black. (more…)   SensationalColor.com

Orange is the New Blue for GM’s Design Guru

17th Apr. '07 • Products & Packaging Color • Tags: , ,

Filed as Just read

Chris Webb, General Motor's Trends and Exterior Color DesignerGeneral Motors loves the color orange. So much so that nearly 75% of its upcoming stable of vehicles will be available in some variation of orange in the next few years.

Chris Webb, General Motor’s Trends and Exterior Color Designer and one of my colleagues at CMG was featured in Brandweek Q+A and talks candidly about the importance of color for new GM vehicles.

Read the Brandweek article… (more…)   SensationalColor.com

Familiar Colors in a New Product

30th Mar. '07 • Products & Packaging Color • Tags: ,

Filed as Just posted

Bell & Ross Watch

Often the way color is used is inspired by an application or use from an entirely different industry. The watch faces below are a good example.

Employed both in aviation and the submarine world as a visual aid, bright colours ’speak’ to men from these and similar professions in a familiar and what seems to have proven appealing way.

These watches have a photo luminescent dials in blue or orange (more…)   SensationalColor.com

Names that Inspire Car Buyers

27th Mar. '07 • Color Names • Tags: , ,

Filed as Just read

As the color of our world grows bolder now splashing onto our MP3’s cell phones and Blackberries will the colors of our automobiles begin to follow?

Already carmakers are coming up with more trendy and enticing color names to attract all, from young to old, from laid back to sophisticate. Depending on the car and the audience colors such as Black Pearl and Cinnamon are popping up all over the automotive industry inspiring consumers to take a more personal interest in the style of coloring their automobile is wearing!

Read the article… (more…)   SensationalColor.com

Green in More Ways Than One

11th Mar. '07 • Products & Packaging Color • Tags: , ,

Filed as Just read

Eagle County's Fleet of Green Toyota PriusesEagle County, Colorodo purchased 20 new Toyota Hybrid Priuses most of which are the color green to symbolize the county”s efforts to go green.

“Green is an environmentally friendly color and it helps us show the community that the county wants to be environmentally friendly as well,” said Justin Finestone, with Eagle County communications in an interview with 9News. (more…)   SensationalColor.com

Renault Rolls Out Orange Scénic Conquest

24th Feb. '07 • Products & Packaging Color • Tags: ,

Filed as Just read

Renault Scenic Conquest

Renault unveils the Scénic Conquest in June 2007 and the off-roader that is orange inside and out and can be seen for the first time at the upcoming Geneva auto show.

“Cayenne Orange” exterior paint plus orange interior graphics, and orange seatbelts and orange accent stitching make this an intriguing choice for those crazy about the outdoors and the color orange. That is as long as your in Europe as you can’t get one in the U.S. in any color.

Photo courtesy of Renault   SensationalColor.com

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