Some companies out there have obtained the rights to their specific brand colour values, which means you can’t have them! HERE’S A LOOK AT SOME OF THE MOST FAMOUSLY TRADEMARKED COLOURS 🌈🌈🌈
TIFFANY BLUE
In use for over 150 years, the “robin’s egg blue” colour now synonymous with the brand became the official trademarked colour in 1998, partnering with Pantone to dub it “1837 Blue” in honour of the company’s founding date.
COKE RED
The brand introduced red into their marketing in the late 1940s, updating their previously black and white design. The colour is referred to as “Coke Red” in all of their design materials.
CADBURY PURPLE
The purple appeared in the Cadbury branding for the first time in 1920, and has since become THE recognisable colour for chocolate. An ongoing trademark war between rivals Cadbury and Nestlé over the use of the colour purple in confectionary branding has been waged for years – but we’re TEAM CADBURY!
YVES KLEIN BLUE
Technically called International Klein Blue (IKB), the colour was developed in 1957 by French artist Yves Klein in collab with an art supply brand (still a shop in Paris today). Klein featured IKB in loads of his work, and famously applied the colour to canvas using the bodies of models.
POST-IT YELLOW
Post-its were invented in 1968, and the iconic “Canary Yellow” color was apparently chosen by complete fluke – a lab next door only had scrap yellow paper on hand, and they’ve stuck (lol) with it ever since!
FISKARS ORANGE
Founded in 1649 !!!) in Finland, Fiskars made the world’s first plastic-handled scissors in 1967 and they were Fiskars Orange out of convenience using what was around in the manufacturers. They took it and ran with it, and the colour has been trademarked since 2003.
BARBIE PINK
While rumour has it that the ‘Barbie Pink’ colour is trademarked – it actually isn’t! You’ll find PMS 219C in your Pantone books free to use as you please!
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We don’t love the idea of being able to OWN a colour – colours should be for everyone!
About the author
Amy Franks
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