Color in Different Cultures

In the United States, Red means STOP, Yellow means SLOW DOWN, and Green means GO. Have you ever thought what these colors mean in various other cultures throughout the United States. This is exactly what I took the time to examine this week. As a tribute to Valentine's Day, let us investigate the color RED.

In the Western culture, red has two meanings; mainly love and/or rage and anger. However, in China the color red is meant to mean a celebration. By following the link you would notice all the Chinese decorations are all in red!

In South Africa, the color red is the color of mourning. It is used at funerals or to indicate various sorrowful events for a family or individual. In India, red is the color of purity, which is very different from the United States, where purity is indicated by the color white. In a completely opposite perception, the United States considers red as associated with the devil, while in India, the color red is holy and is instrumental in customs and beliefs.

As can be seen across cultures, one color can mean so many different things. In advertising and marketing, we must learn how color is perceived by various cultures so we can create ads pleasing to all areas of the world if we ever have the privilege to work worldwide.