In our series Colour Me, Crowd DNA uses semiotics to decode colour trends and unpack cultural shifts in the process…
Colour of course carries plenty of meaning, but that changes (and often very fast) alongside lived experiences. In this series, Crowd DNA uses semiotics to decode colour trends and unpack cultural shifts in the process…
At Crowd, we use semiotics as one of our tools, showing where signs and symbols – like words, visual icons, packaging, or logos – are a shortcut for brands to reveal their message or impact behaviour.
Following on from Gen Z Yellow and Heritage Purple, our third edition charts how Cherry Red – the most symbolically-laden fruits in the cultural lexicon – has been used to capture the changing representations of girl, woman and other.
As the full spectrum of femininity is playing out in culture, we see motifs of desire, power and hunger channelled through the prism of the delicate, fierce and luscious Cherry Red.
In Colour Me: Cherry Red we explore:
_How dominantly, Cherry Red evokes a soft, palatable femininity. These representations draw on retro visual cues that denote girlishness with women as curated perfection: to be gazed at, admired – but not touched.
_Femininity is ornamental. It is coquettish, but never confronting. Cherry Red offers a view of womanhood that tiptoes into fantasy.
_How emergently, we see Cherry Red lean into Disruptive Expressions, with intentionally messy and confrontational visual codes.
_Here Cherry Red is subversive and unsettling. It allows brands to capitalise on its conventional associations with disruptive effect by tapping into the colour’s carnal, dangerous, and symbolic origins.
Read the full report here
Semiotic analysis can help brands understand culture and keep ahead of cultural change, and we hope our Colour Me series will help you in choosing more impactful colours.
If you’d like to learn more about how we use semiotics to reach real cultural insights, please get in touch: hello@crowdDNA.com
