... and how clashing implications continue to shape our reactions to these colors.
Depending on the region and cultural upbringing, one may have different connotations associated with the colors black, white, and red. Even before our ancestors began to communicate with language, they attached associations to these colors. They were able to hunt when it was light out, and as a result, white carried with it a positive connotation. Red was associated with sunset, and black was associated with the dangers of night. Red was associated with blood and harm.This is both similar and different from modern day Christianity. While black and red continue to be associated with the devil and damnation, the color red is also affiliated with charity via Christ's gift of blood. However, Christianity is not the only culture to develop a positive association with red.
In South America, individuals have been known to paint a red stripe around an infant's wrist in an effort to resist evil and illness, which infant are said to attract due to their innocence and vulnerability. In fourteenth century England, red was deemed the most appropriate color for rulers and knights because it symbolized courage. This is similar to Eastern cultures such as japan, where red and white symbolize good luck, power, wealth, and the purging of evil entities. In many cultures, white is scene as the force of good and black is seen as the force of evil. However, many formerly and continually suppressed cultures may argue otherwise (namely Native Americans and those of African descent).
How does this relate to modern day Western cultures, you ask?
Caivanio and Lopez argue the idea of chromatic sublimation, where each color portrays a particular emotion in advertising. Red promotes liveliness and sex, and black is associated with night, sophistication, and mystery. By using these colors and associated, marketing groups can effectively attract an audience to purchase or consume their product as seen above. By continually studying how the connotations of these colors are evolving, companies and groups can continue to increase their power of persuasion.
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