Symbolic Colors

I thought was a great design example by Takahisa Hasimoto that does not use a lot of symbolic colors to convey the meaning of the design. There are other cultural cues incorporated that allow the viewers to understand the concept. Since this is an ad for green tea, this color never changes and is emphasized in the center. The green also pops out against the duller contrasting colors. There are only subtle differences to identify that there is a seasonal change. The first image depicts a shirtless man drinking from a straw from a clear glass with ice in his green tea. From these visual cues, the viewer can understand that the weather may be hot and the man is trying to cool off. The second image shows a man in a turtle-neck sweater with steam coming from a mug. This implies that it may be cold and the man is wanting to warm up. Without needing to use many symbolic colors or words, the message is clear through these cultural cues to tell the viewers that this tea can be for the summer and winter time.

Hashimoto, Takahisa. "A Mustached Man Changes His Wardrobe." Society of Illustrators 54th Annual of American Illustration an-March 2012: 195. Advertising.