Design is utilized in Nike’s Better For It campaign through the use of color to make the ads stands and evoke certain feelings out by using certain hues of that contrast each other. Color is an important tool in advertising because it can perceive the way viewers look at a certain picture. It can make a difference to the way a message is communicated, and when using it to create a mood, it is important to be aware of color relationships and the effects they have on each other. Meachem et al (2010), author of the book “How To Use Images”, explains that complementary colors bounce of and enhance each other and analogous colors are easy on the eyes and are harmonious with each other. They help a design appear safe and tranquil. For example, one of the advertisements retrieved from Linked In (Zheng, 2015) displays a women stretching on a ledge around sunset, with the words “Don’t Let It Stop You” displayed in teal text boxes. The different shades of blues, greens, and grays that were used to paint the sunset complemented well with the teal text boxes to inflict that safe and tranquil feeling that Meachem has mentioned. When colors are put together, one of them is often dominant. This is the color that will attract the eye, and the weaker colors will complement or contrast with it. To build on what Meachem had to say, Ciotti (2016) found that a large majority of consumers prefer color palates with similar hues and palates with highly contrasting colors, and that cool colors were more preferred than warm colors. To reference the same ad used above, you can see how similar hues of blues and green were used and coincidently happen to be cool colors as well. I think that having the presence of cool colors makes the ad seem calm and not too gaudy, although this is not to say that brighter colors come off as gaudy and wild. From a marketing perspective purchasing intent is greatly affected by colors due to their effect on how a brand is perceived. Consumer reaction to color appropriateness is far more important than the individual color itself. 

Color can be used to support emotional associations, and certain colors tend to evoke certain feelings. Panigyrakis (2015), a marketing professor, talks about how high brightness colors lead to greater liking and more positive emotions and highly saturated colors create feelings of excitement. For example in the advertisement retrieved from The Inspiration Room (Macleod, 2015) there are women running in bright orange/peach jackets with the phrase “We eat miles for Brunch” written in bright magenta text boxes. The use of the bright warm colors such as the red and magenta seem to lighten up the ad, and make it seem wild and exciting. Although these feelings may differ based on person to person, it has also been something that has been commonly studied and researched. Red was associated with exciting and stimulating, blue was associated with secure and comfortable, orange was associated with disturbing and upset, and black was associated with powerful and strong. The use of colors in advertising can have an effect on the emotion the audience has towards it.       Schiller (1935), psychology professor at a university, also builds on Panigyrakis’ view by stating that color combinations vary in appropriateness based on the use to which they are put and that it is important that the color combinations used are pleasant and in harmony with the desired feeling tone

            When you think about Nike you tend to associate the colors black, white, and orange with it. Majority of advertising starts out this way because most companies have been in business for decades. Nike advertising over the years has moved from using predominantly black and white ads to adding more color because they noticed that color attracted more viewers. Grow (2006) analyzed Nike advertising through the years and noticed that the ads started out in black and white and how the introduction of color has made such a big impact. For beginners, it just automatically becomes more pleasing and attractive to the viewers. It went from black and white, to splotches of colors, to fully fleshed colored ads. If you were to take a look at any of the previously mentioned examples, all you would see is color everywhere, but try to imagine that same ad in black and white. Not as exciting right? It goes without saying that ultimately color tends to be nicer. However there are situations in which black and white does the job in a way that no other color could. To go along with Grow’s analysis, Panigyrakis (2015) also happens to mention how full colored ads outperform black and white ads. You can see this when you compare an old Nike advertisement like the one from Union Room in 2009 of the still image of a building in NYC, to say the aforementioned “We Eat Miles for Brunch” campaign ad. There’s a huge contrast from the dull, gray, not sports affiliated background from six years ago to the pop of colors and woman running now.

            Overall Nike advertising in their “Better for It” ad campaign does a good job of incorporating color into their designs. They use different hues to invoke different emotions, while at the same time making it aesthetically pleasing. It was just one of the different elements of design that Nike incorporated into their marketing efforts.