• Jun 6, 2018 modified: Jun, 18 2026

Seeing Red over Cola

Did you know you would recognise the distinct red colour of a Coca-Cola can?

Taste Tests Coke vs Pepsi

Research at Baylor College of Medicine (Dr. Read Montague, 2004) attempted to explain why Coca-Cola outsells Pepsi despite Pepsi being preferred in blind taste tests "Pepsi Challenge".

When the focus was solely on flavour Pepsi won. However we all know Coke has spent a considerable advertising budget associating their brand with fun, world peace, racial harmony, love etc. Just like Qantas who sell experiences not flights the experience of drinking Coke is what keeps them on top of perceptions.

What colours are we actually seeing?

Our eyes and brains register and 'see' RGB, so to humans everything is in RGB values.
The RGB color model is an additive colour model. The colour model preferred by printers is the CMYK model - a subtractive color model.

The primary purpose of the RGB colour model is for the display of images in electronic systems, such as on mobile phones, TV screens and computer monitors and it's also used in digital photography. So when we go to a Printer and want a blow up of our favourite holiday snap there are a few issues at play-:

The Phone Holiday Snap

• The image may appear pixelated when blown up
• The colour model used for printing is CMYK - your phone displays in RGB

Colour and Perception

Advertising works on appealing to our emotions and associations. Is the picture of the pizza and Coke appealing to you? Cadbury is renown for fiercly trying to prevent rivals from using a specifc colour Pantone 2865c (Purple). Pantone is a proprietry colour model owned by a US company.

"Colors can be measured and quantified in various ways; indeed, a person's perception of colors is a subjective process whereby the brain responds to the stimuli that are produced when incoming light reacts with the several types of cone cells in the eye."

source Color Vision Wikipedia

So now you may be wondering just what am I seeing in that Coke can.

Colour Schemes

For non-designers Colour Schemes are based on Colour Wheels.

Try putting a colour scheme together for yourself using a colour scheme generator
Say you want to put some text on an image - you can use this tool to help choose a complimentary colour.

Modern design tools like Figma and Canva now have built-in colour palette generators.

People With Photosensitive Epilepsy may react to Red and Blue especially if they are together and are strong. The colours you choose can literally make people sick. WARNING! check the red and blue in the RGB example above, it may make you feel uncomfortable.

Refer to UI Design for SEO for other design considerations for non-designers.

Dark Mode

Dark Mode is now a standard expectation on websites and apps, and colour choices that work in light mode can break badly in dark mode.

Colour and the Home

The same principles that make a Coke can instantly recognisable apply equally to your home. Colour sets expectations before you even walk through the door - a warm sandstone exterior feels inviting, a cool grey feels contemporary, and a deep charcoal can feel bold or uninviting depending on the neighbourhood context. Just as brands spend considerable effort choosing colours that trigger the right emotional response, a good painter understands that colour selection is as important as the application itself. For homeowners on the Gold Coast, Creations in Colour brings that same considered approach to residential painting.