In partnership with
Hello nerd family,
We spend hours tweaking ad copy, images, and offers.
But what about the colour tones we use?
Turns out, the temperature of your ad’s colors (literally how warm or cool they look) can change how people feel about your brand and whether they actually buy.
The research:
Researchers tested how colour temperature in ads affects consumer response. They showed young adults two versions of the same mineral water ad: same image, same celebrity, but one ad had warm tones (3000 K) and the other had cool tones (6000 K). Participants then rated the ad, the brand, and their intent to buy (Stonkutė & Vaitkevičius, 2021)
What they found:
Cool ads looked high-end. They were judged more pleasant and attractive, and they made the brand feel exclusive, but they did not increase purchase intent.
Warm ads worked best overall. People rated them more interesting, persuasive, and effective. Brands in warm ads were seen as higher quality, more reliable, and more valuable. Warm ads significantly increased willingness to try, buy, and recommend.
Why?
Our brains associate warm light with comfort and safety. Think fireplaces, candlelight, golden sunsets. These cues make people feel closer to the brand, more trusting, and more open to persuasion.
Cool light feels sleek and premium, but also distant. It signals exclusivity, which fits luxury positioning, but does not push people toward immediate action for everyday products.
Caveat
This study only tested one product (mineral water) with a female celebrity. Results may shift for luxury items or tech, where exclusivity is a selling point. Still, the mechanism is clear: warmth signals trust, coolness signals premium distance.
💡Takeaway
For everyday, practical, or trust-sensitive products (food, health, finance, mass-market services) → use a warm tone to build trust and drive purchase intent.
For luxury, fashion, or high-end tech → consider testing cooler tones to highlight exclusivity and premium appeal, even if it does not directly boost immediate conversion.
Stay awesome,
Ksenia (the biggest nerd)
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