The Not-So Mellow Yellows

With the warmer weather creeping in, flowers budding and blooming, and springtime in full effect, this bright and bold hue is all around us.?

Yellow can convey a range of emotions and ideas, from warmth and friendliness to caution and warning. We're taking a closer look at how three different brands — Tour De France, National Geographic, and Post-it??— use the color yellow in their branding to communicate distinct messages and connect with their consumers.

?? Now, let's get into it!?

1. Tour De France

History and Tradition: Tour De France is an event rooted in tradition. The yellow jersey (Maillot Jaune) was first introduced in 1919 as a way for the spectators to more easily identify the leader of the race. The tour began in 1903, created by the sports newspaper?L'Auto?to drum up readership. The use of yellow was said to be inspired by the yellow newsprint L'Auto was printed on.

Since then, the yellow jersey has become a coveted and world-renowned trophy. Worn by the leader with the fastest time at each stage — and by the ultimate winner at the end with the fastest overall time — the yellow jersey is an official symbol of excellence, prestige, and victory. Over the three-week competition, several cyclists might wear the yellow jersey, but only one will win it.

Signaling Speed and Victory: The yellow in the Tour de France logo is a cooler yellow with an almost neon feel. The yellow orb creates an image of a cyclist and has two meanings — both the wheel and a sun, nodding to the fact that the tour only happens during the day. The selected yellow hue has an edge to it, signaling speed, energy, and victory, standing out from the crowd.

Fun Fact: In the UK in 2014, Yorkshire locals painted the town yellow with yellow bikes scattered throughout the city as a demonstration of appreciation for the tour.?

2. National Geographic

Signaling Friendly Exploration: The National Geographic brand is one whose goal, above all else is to "illuminate and protect the wonder of our world." Its simple rectangle symbol is a call to National Geographic's most identifiable brand element: their bold, yellow magazine cover frame. It is through that frame that National Geographic can put the beauty the world has to offer in perspective for its readers, helping them to discover and understand it better with stunning photography and thought-provoking stories.

It's no surprise that this simple, yet easily identifiable brand uses a warm and sunny yellow that represents the sun that "reaches and illuminates all corners of the Earth." It's warm, friendly, and inviting, making it broadly appealing and an easy and comfortable entry point for audiences of all ages.

Golden Ratio: Fun fact: The National Geographic logo rectangle is actually created using the golden ratio, or the golden or “perfect” proportion, meaning that the ratio of the outer rectangle width to the outer rectangle length is 1:1.618. It is believed that when shapes feature the golden ratio, which is commonly found in nature, the human eye can process them faster, and that they're more pleasing to the eye. Now that's a golden "Easter egg" if we've ever seen one.

3. Post-it?

A Color You Can't Forget: It's hard to ignore a bright yellow square sticking to your desk or computer screen. When it comes to the "canary yellow phenomenon," many aspects of Post-it? Super Sticky Notes were developed by accident — from the temporary adhesive to even the color we all know so well. The canary yellow paper of the original classic Post-it? note wasn't planned; it just happened to be the scrap paper the lab next door had available. It was a happy accident because the soft yellow was bright enough to capture your attention but soft enough to feel approachable for an audience that had never seen anything like it. The Post-it? was an advertisement in itself, inspiring surprise and delight as people discovered the new product in real-time use.

Fun fact: Rather than creating a campaign to launch the Post-it? note, creators opted to get it immediately into consumers' hands in their first test market: Boise, Idaho, in a 1978 marketing effort now referred to as the "Boise Blitz". To say it was an instant success is an understatement.

Signaling Past and Present: Today, the Post-It??logo takes a similar no-nonsense approach, featuring the product front and center. The two squares — shown in the original canary yellow alongside a brighter, bolder yellow — nod to past and present.?

Today, the Post-it??brand offers an extensive range of designs and colors to its customers to energize their communication and creativity. The variety in shades of yellow in the brand’s logo signals the product’s heritage alongside the possibility of all that is to come.?

Three Different Brands. Three Different Yellows. Three Different Stories.

Color has the power to help you signal what your brand stands for and create the emotional connections you want with your customer. It's one of your greatest assets to create instant recognition for your brand.

Are you looking to find new and exciting ways to signal what your brand stands for? Let's talk!?