Data Showing Link between Colour and Emotion in Advertising Detailed in IPA Book ‘Look Out’

Image from Cadbury x Age UK ‘The Originals’

‘Look Out’, by critically acclaimed author Orlando Wood of System1, is an exploration of how to make great, vivid, human work in a world that’s turning dangerously inward. Published by the IPA as a tool for advertising professionals, it details key insights around audience attention, brand building, campaign effectiveness and the impact of technology.

As part of the research, Wood and System1 invited Cheat founder and senior colourist Toby Tomkins to explore the impact colour, grain and diffusion have on the emotional response to both TV and online video advertising. 

Using VCCP’s ‘The Originals’ for Cadbury and Age UK, the team tested four contrasting versions of the grade to find the results show something Tomkins has long been working to prove: 

- colour is a metaphor for meaning, 

- depth and warmth help create a sense of human connection, and 

- ultimately this drives salience and effectiveness.

With an enduring passion for colour science and film emulation, over the years Tomkins has invested much of his time and resources into research, as well as the development of proprietary tools which allow him to further his craft and create a unique look for any project.

Tomkins comments: “You can draw people in with a cinematic universe and beauty – the sort of things I really enjoy making are those that tap into that emotional response to watching a film, responding to a fictional world. There’s still authenticity to a memory or a dream. Who wants to be sold reality?”