Colorful States

The colors of a lot of American comics superheroes follow a fixed principle: for the most part, heroes wear the primary colors red, blue, or yellow—either alone or in combination with other colors. In contrast, green often signalizes that the wearer also has a dark side.

A 1907 study by University of Chicago found that people perceive the color yellow the fastest. John Hertz, founder of the Yellow Cab taxi company, took that knowledge to heart. In addition, three-fourths of the pencils sold in the United States are painted yellow. Even the Simpsons are only yellow because it makes them more eye-catching while zapping.

The green card was originally printed in green. Today it’s beige with a green tinge. The dollar was printed with an insoluble green ink that was difficult to forge.

For historical reasons, the flags of many countries are modeled on the Stars & Stripes.

Between 1970 and 1986, the referees called fouls especially often on the teams that wore black. Scientists believe that we associate the non-color with aggression, and that is the reason it is more likely that players in black are blamed for causing collisions deliberately.

Coke was originally brown. It was the caramel coloring (E150d) that made the legendary soft drink black and thus easier to market.

Prior to 1950, Santa Claus wore a green suit. It only became red in Coca-Cola advertisements. It is still red today.

Trademarks are easier to recognize based on their colors and shapes. Which ones are pictured above? According to a study, companies use the color blue most often, followed by red, gray or black, and yellow or gold. 95 percent keep their logos limited to one or two colors.

US President Barack Obama likes blue. Justin Bieber fans know that the singer favors blue and purple. And pop star Miley Cyrus links her favorite color pink with her personal attitude.