Whether you're an insurance, travel, mobile gaming or ecommerce advertiser, you can't afford to overlook the importance of color in online campaigns. In the same way that bright hues stand out in Facebook and Instagram news feeds, the colors in your Twitter ads are the first thing that people will notice.
However, using the right colors in your Twitter ads can do more than grab attention. Different shades can communicate your company's messaging, create an atmosphere, or motivate users to take downstream action like making a purchase, filling out a form or installing your app or mobile game.
How can you use color to support these goals? Follow the example of these seven savvy Twitter advertisers:
1. Dollar Shave Club (subscription service)
Dollar Shave Club is calling out its competitors, and the colors in the Twitter ad below work to assert superiority.
Although the pack of razors in each side of the image looks nearly identical, what sets them apart (aside from the price) is the color and scenery that surrounds them. By creating a visually positive atmosphere surrounding Dollar Shave Club's product, the subscription service comes out on top.
It's not hard to see why this ad is so effective. Dollar Shave Club's razor blades are set against a classic, rustic style wooden background. Meanwhile, the razors from its competitors are placed against a plain, bland, slate gray backdrop which conveys no personality, warmth, or point of interest. Even without reading the text that accompanies this ad, Twitter users can develop an affinity for Dollar Shave Club's service - all thanks to colors depicting the brand in an inviting way.
2. Progressive (insurance)
Just because your product or service isn't traditionally portrayed as fun doesn't mean you can't use vibrant colors to spark users' interest and excitement. Below, Progressive bucks the "boring" label on insurance, using color to keep its Twitter ad thematic and bright.
Beyond the nod to our current season, Progressive keeps this ad relevant by featuring its spokeswoman, Flo, at the end of the rainbow with gold coins. This speaks to the "magic" savings that users can get when they switch to Progressive. By tying timely spring elements and bright colors to Progressive's insurance, the company is able to make its product fun, appealing and relevant to Twitter users.
3. Stop & Shop (retail)
Stop Shop recently announced a lower prices initiative, called out with blue tags on items in its fresh, nonperishable and health and beauty care departments. To communicate this new offer to customers, the grocery store chain took to Twitter with this boldly colored video ad:
The deep blue of the background clues shoppers in on what to look for in stores, while the bright white color of the text stands out in readable contrast. In a further play on color, Stop & Shop urges Twitter users to "save green" in the overlay copy.
4. Southwest Airlines (travel)
Would you be able to tell who placed an ad if the logo were removed? Southwest Airlines passes this test with "flying" colors in the extremely on-brand Twitter ad below. The image is flushed with Southwest's signature blue, yellow and red, calling back to the company's logo - and making it immediately clear where the offer is coming from.
The travel company's approach to color brings several benefits: (1) It's eye-catching with high-contrast visuals that are perfect for mobile screen viewing; (2) It utilizes on-theme messaging that ties to the rest of the company's marketing efforts; and (3) The brand voice comes through immediately, even if Twitter users get distracted.
5. Dungeon Boss (mobile gaming)
Big Fish promotes its mobile game 'Dungeon Boss' with characters and colors taken directly from the game itself. The ad below features protagonists facing off against a bold green background, building tension and excitement by suggesting an imminent battle.
Including the dominant colors that are featured in the game makes for a consistent user experience from ad to actual game play, giving Twitter audiences a preview of the design and characters that they can get acquainted with if they install Dungeon Boss.
6. CVS (retail)
Sometimes harnessing the power of color for your ads is as simple as choosing an eye-popping hue for your background. For even more impact, pick a color that's on-theme with what your ad is selling.
With its bright yellow backdrop, the ad below is perfect for Easter. The predominant yellow makes the ad stand out in Twitter feeds, where users won't be able to miss it.
The bold yellow is also an excellent combination with the red and black colors of the overlay text, which drives home the ad's main offer - a coupon for candy. Because this ad leaps out at users, they'll be more likely to notice it and click through to CVS's website.
7. Lyft (mobile app)
Lyft's logo is brightly colored with a cartoonish font - so it follows that a Twitter ad for the ride sharing app would have a similar creative spin. As you can see, the company's signature pink is selectively used to accent certain parts of the image and echo the ad copy with text overlay.
The bright pink makes the selling point of the campaign stick out, in addition to keeping the entire ad on-brand. Overall, the color and design guarantees easy reading on mobile screens; an especially important trait when audiences can easily download the app in just a few clicks from this ad.