Has the world gone colourbland?

I’ve noticed something over the last few years.

And, yes, I’m guilty of it myself.

There’s a distinct lack of colour in our everyday lives.

It has become pared back to a muted blandness that is largely inoffensive to the eye.

Our home décor is a heady mix of whites, greys and beiges. Maybe some black in there for good measure. You can have colour, sure, but disguised as a flavour of white. Apple white.

Look at a colour chart for Farrow and Ball. They’ve gone to great lengths to have the perfect palette that people want in their lives. You won’t find a bright colour in there. They’re all muted shades. But all strangely distinctive. The names help. Mole’s breath. Mouse’s Back? Dimity? Eh?

Look. I’m no saint. I’m probably more guilty than anyone. I own a black car. In fact, I own 3 black cars. And, wait for it, a beige one (I had that one painted in a factory colour when it was being restored – I actively chose it for crying out loud).

I heard a good few years ago that we dream in black in white.

Studies undertaken from 1915 through to the 1950s suggested this.

Ah….but in the psychedelic 60s, the findings changed. Up to 83% of our dreams contain colour. Our chemistry was more identifiable, as it were.

And, incidentally, apparently a dog’s eyes only have 2 types of cone - just 20% that of humans. This means that they don’t see colour like us. Their dichromatic vision means they only see shades of grey, brown, yellow and blue. This is similar to humans who experience red-green colour blindness.

Anyway, before I start to sound, well… dull, I’ll get back to the point. Colour is draining from our lives. It’s a fact. Grey is Britain’s most popular new car colour for the sixth consecutive year, topping half a million registrations, according to the latest figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Yes, you read it right. Grey.

509,194 grey cars were registered in 2023, which equates to a market share of more than a quarter (26.8%).

And coming second and third? Black then white. To sum up, almost two thirds (63.5%) of all new cars joining UK roads in 2023 were monochrome.

Where’s the vibrancy? The individualism? The joy?

Meh.

Are we spiralling downward into a sea of blandness?

Affirmative, Captain Lacklustre.

Conversely, I saw a car the other day. It was a Porsche 911. And a pretty new one at that.

A very distinctive car.

But the owner had gone a stage further. It had been repainted in a custom colour, clearly to make this car truly individual.

The only thing…the colour can only be described as the hue of a prosthetic limb.

Resprays aren’t cheap. But, hey, I’m talking about the car, so the desired effect was undoubtedly achieved. Although it’s the living proof that you can’t buy taste.

So what’s the relevance? Let’s look at brand. Agencies like ours spend a large amount of time crafting the positioning and messaging of a brand. The strapline or tagline. Boom. Job done. A defined brand becomes amazing, inspiring, distinctive… surprising even.

The weighting around balancing excellent positioning with graphic elements is vital. Bring in the Art Directors. Time to address the colour of the brand. The psychological factors involved are far reaching. Firstly analysing the market space to ensure you are distinctive against the competition is a win. You know categorically what not to look like. Even an accent colour or a secondary palette should have consideration.

If you’re struggling to find your car in the car park, it’s an inconvenience. If you’re struggling to differentiate a brand amongst the competition, it’s a fucking offence. Get out. And don’t come back, you bland buffoon.

It’s important, in all aspects of communication, to make people feel something (except nausea).

Often colour is the way to do it. Something often overlooked or completely misplaced. Light. Shade. Block. Shift. There’s always a way to be distinctive. Always.

If you know the space everyone else is adopting, you can find an entirely new space.

And own it (we can help you with that, incidentally).

Colour can have all sorts of effects on our brains.

Take a look at this image.

How many colours can you see? Four? Five? Zoom in. Ask yourself again.

Are you going crazy?

If it involves your brand and the psychology of its colourways, maybe going crazy is something you should consider.