Comparative analysis of chromatic symbology in advertising. NIKE in China and Spain

Abstract

The different perceptions of color according to each socio-cultural context constitute a matter of relevant interest from the point of view of advertising creativity: black & white, for example, means mourn in different cultures and therefore must be used with care in international advertising. Color red is important to catch the western audience eye… but in China it is also perceived as a lucky color, which is by itself a powerful claim for potential customers. Therefore, this piece of research has analyzed the creative possibilities that can derive from the symbolic and cultural connotations of colors. To this end, a comparative analysis has been proposed in the design of which different theories on the perceptions of color have been considered in two very different cultures: European and Asian. This model has been used to analyze a sample of Nike graphic campaigns in order to obtain results that allow us to corroborate, through this case, that large brands use chromatic symbology in the design of their graphic campaigns in order to expand their possibilities of communicative effectiveness.