The Ongoing Transformation of the McDonald's Logo - Ohio University
The Ongoing Transformation of the McDonald's Logo - Ohio University
The Ongoing Transformation of the McDonald's Logo - Ohio University
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socially for groups and families, as well as being a leading fast food restaurant<br />
throughout <strong>the</strong> world.<br />
<strong>The</strong> colors chosen to represent McDonald’s are intentional. <strong>The</strong>y produce<br />
an object to incite action among <strong>the</strong>ir consumers (<strong>the</strong> interpretant). Goldstein’s<br />
1942 research found that colors with longer wavelength, such as red, are seen<br />
to arouse, as opposed to colors on with shorter wavelength like green. In<br />
particular, <strong>the</strong> colors yellow and red are stimulants which engender expansive<br />
and forceful behavior (Elliot & Maier, 2007). Hutchings (1997) also concedes<br />
that a human’s natural response to color stimuli is similar to <strong>the</strong>ir nonhuman<br />
counterparts, who are intrinsically guided to food by signal functions. In this<br />
case, red – <strong>the</strong> color <strong>of</strong> fruit – triggers a readiness to eat. Ano<strong>the</strong>r reason for <strong>the</strong><br />
color red in <strong>the</strong> logo (see Figures 2 and 3), is that <strong>the</strong> color red is associated with<br />
happiness, and leads to such a cognitive process with <strong>the</strong> according behavior<br />
(Soldat, Sinclair, & Mark, 1997).<br />
Figure2: McDonald’s still uses <strong>the</strong> red trapezoid ‘ro<strong>of</strong>’as a main component<br />
<strong>of</strong> its signage<br />
(Source: http://www.logodesignlove.com/images/simple-logos/mcdonalds<br />
signage.jpg)<br />
Similarly, both <strong>the</strong> colors red and yellow were proposed to be positive<br />
colors by famous German poet Goe<strong>the</strong> (1982). Goe<strong>the</strong> considered red and<br />
yellow as inciting happiness, joy, and optimism (Birren, 1961). In a branding<br />
context, Chang and Lin (2010) found that participants in <strong>the</strong>ir study equated<br />
yellow in a brand with joy, brightness, and warmth. Similarly, customer<br />
Cowin & Matusitz - <strong>The</strong> <strong>Ongoing</strong> <strong>Transformation</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> McDonald’s...<br />
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