Calming and harmonious, cool colors consist of blues, greens, and violets. Here’s how you can use half of the color wheel to boost ad performance, according to AI.
Color theory tells us that cool colors are packed with symbolism. Shades of green, blue, and violet are infused in so many objects within our natural world, and they often symbolize growth. They also have calming effects.
Design principles tell us that shades of blue symbolize strength, intelligence, and peacefulness. Greens signal growth, health, and the environment. Meanwhile, shades of purple and violet are packed with feelings of elegance and regality.
It’s no wonder that photographers, graphic designers, brands, and artists alike cling to cool colors. So, how can you harness the power behind these shades in your campaigns?
Images via MaxFrost, snova.mir, and MaxFrost.
Shutterstock.AI analyzed over 700 billion creative data points to determine which exact objects in the cool color family are driving clicks today. Through this analysis, we discovered data on which settings, foods, objects, and animals audiences love to click.
So, let’s stay cool this summer by incorporating these clickable shades into our creative direction. AI has the insights you need to get started.
Today’s Top Colors
Data tells us that today’s most clickable colors are dominated by cool shades. When looking at the top fifty most engaging colors today, shades from this half of the color wheel dominate with high click-through rates (CTRs).
When it comes to imagery, shades of purple particularly stand out. Cool violets and berry shades—particularly the hex codes #804080, #C04080, #C040C0, and #C080C0—rank high on the most clickable list.
Images via Darya Lavinskaya, Cbeamglitter, Androlia, Vintage Tone, Frankie and Marília, Cavan Images, Jelena Shijak, K-Angle, Karyn Millet, and Kilimanjaro STUDIOz.
For videos, we see even more variety in cool colors. While a few berry shades make it to this shortlist, we also see blue-violets performing well.
The hex codes #804080, #4000C0, #4040C0, #40C0FF, #400040, and #404080 all make the cut. Several shades of green and pure blues drive performance for videos, too.
Images via Oleksii Dubrovskyi, Erhard Nerger / ImageBROKER, Ryzhkov Photography, Dariusz Jarzabek, Okrasiuk, Diana Lange, Saklakova, Cavan Images, Burcu Avsar, Ricardo Junqueira, and Vladimir Godnik / fStop.
Feast on Cool-Colored Food
When thinking of foods within this color family, plant-based green dishes likely come to mind first. Data tells us that the most engaging green foods span from sweet, to sour, to savory.
Out of all green foods measured, pears are the most clickable, with a CTR that’s risen 59% over the last year.
Staying in the fruit family, limes come in at second most clickable. Their CTR is 440% higher today than it was last summer.
Salads are a summertime favorite this year, with cabbage proving itself to be the most clickable leafy base.
Images via Con Poulos, The Picture Pantry, Lori Eanes, Johnér, Roman Märzinger / Westend61, NataliAlba, Maurese, YARUNIV Studio, Pixel-Shot, and teleginatania.
With berry shades dominating image trends, it’s no surprise that actual berries are trending up as well. Over the last year, berries have been among the most clickable foods in general.
Beyond berries, audiences are also clicking on beets. In fact, the CTR of beets has risen 857% over the last year.
Plums are having a moment too, having risen 90% in clickability since last summer.
Images via Philippe Degroote / Addictive Creative, Regan Baroni, Visnja Sesum, Cavan Images, Marialena Nikopoulou, Myriam Meliani, Cameron Whitman, Achim Sass / Westend61, and Jim DeLillo.
Popular sweet treats, which are often colored purple, are also performing well. Since this time last year, the following desserts have seen big bumps in clicks:
- Macarons’ CTR has risen 41%.
- Smoothies’ CTR has risen 38%.
- Ice cream and sorbet have seen their CTR rise 17%.
Images via Peter Karasev, Orwald, alexanderon, Food Collection, Alena Haurylik, richardernestyap, and Maksim Tregubov.
Opt for Outdoor Settings
For quite some time now, imagery set outside has been performing better than imagery set inside. Perhaps this is due to a newfound reconnection with nature, in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Whatever the cause may be, green and blue outdoor settings remain particularly clickable.
For example, bushes, leaves, trees, and grass have all trended upward over the last two years. Including any of these items in your imagery is likely to increase engagement metrics.
More specifically, though, swampy settings are boosting ad engagement the most right now. The CTR of swamps has risen 359% over the last year.
Rainforests have seen their CTR rise 81% over the same time period. Even green golf courses are trending. They’re 83% more clickable compared to last summer.
Images via Lyubov Levitskaya, AKaltykova, Al’fred, Amazing Aerial Agency, Gustavo Karlsson / Addictive Creative, Amazing Aerial Agency, and Abbie Warnock-Matthews.
AI also tells us that several blue settings are serving up clicks this summer. When it comes to bodies of water, data says that rivers are the most clickable. Their CTR has risen 57% since last year.
Oceans are performing well too, though rivers are still 9% more engaging with audiences.
Images via Cavan Images, Cavan Images, Attila Csipe, Thampitakkull Jakkree, Raimund Linke / Mauritius Images, Reuben Teo, and Suriya99.
It comes as no surprise that pools perform well during the summer months, as we all want to dive in for a dip. Interestingly, they’re 94% more clickable than hot tubs.
So, if you’re going to show a pool party in your ads, keep both your colors and settings on the cool side.
Images via Androlia, Zac Macaulay / Image Source, and AB-7272.
Cool, Clickable Creatures
Finally, what could be more exciting than casting cool-colored and highly-clickable critters in your photos? Several creatures of blue and green shades are performing well.
Currently, snakes are the most clickable green animal, with a CTR that’s risen 167% over the last year. Across the same time period, peacocks have gone up 367% in clickability, placing them just under snakes’ top spot.
Images via Kurit afshen, Cavan Images, Thomas Hinsche / ImageBROKER, Danita Delimont, shinji nakano, Alex Stemmers, and tophe93.
Lizards have seen their CTR skyrocket 2,111% since last summer. Beetles are up 567%, and fish are up 216%, too.
All this is to say that if an animal is creepy, crawly, and cool-toned, it’s likely to get some audience love.
Images via Raccoon Tom, Kurit afshen, Tommy Daynjer, JO2, Lukas Jonaitis, Peter Adams, and Benzstock.
Cover image via Pixel-Shot.
