If you’ve ever found yourself hungry in a car, you certainly know that feeling of joy when you see a red-yellow sign, which is usually because we connect the colors of red and yellow with fast food restaurants.
But this is not a coincidence, explains Karen Haller, a psychologist who studies the effect of color on humans.
Haller explains how the combination of these two colors affects customers.
“Red triggers stimulation, appetite, hunger, it attracts attention. Yellow triggers the feelings of happiness and friendliness. When you combine red and yellow it’s about speed, quickness. In, eat and out again. Yellow is also the most visible color in the daylight, so McDonald’s M can be seen from a great distance,” says Haller, and explains how colors communicate with the brain faster than words or shapes, and directly affect our feelings and emotions.
However, some fast food restaurants combine yellow with green.
“Green is a color of nature and friendly environment. It does not force you to eat your meal quickly. You can relax, get comfortable, linger over a coffee,” says Haller.
