When building a brand identity for a fitness company, choosing the right colors is crucial. Colors evoke certain emotions and can help communicate the essence of a brand. For fitness brands, colors that promote energy, motivation, and vitality tend to work best. In this article, we’ll explore some of the top color choices for fitness brands and why they are effective. We’ll also provide examples of major fitness companies using these colors successfully.
Color Meanings and Psychology
Before recommending specific colors, it’s important to understand color meanings and psychology. Colors have symbolic associations that evoke certain feelings and reactions in people. Smart use of color helps reinforce a brand’s desired image and personality. Here are some notable color meanings relevant to the fitness industry:
| Color | Meaning |
| Red | Energy, speed, strength, excitement |
| Orange | Vitality, enthusiasm, creativity |
| Yellow | Happiness, positivity, clarity |
| Green | Health, balance, nature, stability |
| Blue | Reliability, loyalty, peace, trust |
| Purple | Wisdom, spirituality, imagination |
As shown, warm colors like red, orange, and yellow promote energetic, inspiring feelings. Cool colors like green and blue suggest health, serenity, and professionalism. Selecting colors with attributes aligned to a brand personality is key.
Best Color Choices for Fitness Brands
Based on typical brand attributes for fitness companies, we recommend considering these top colors:
1. Orange
Vibrant orange is one of the most effective colors for fitness brands. It represents energy, positivity, and creativity. Orange makes a bold, lively statement that captures the active, motivated spirit of exercising. It energizes and excites people, getting them pumped up for physical activity. Major brands like Reebok and Gold’s Gym have used orange successfully.
2. Yellow
Bright, sunny yellow is another excellent choice for fitness brands. Like orange, it conveys energy while also promoting feelings of happiness and optimism. The cheerful vibe of yellow matches the mood people want to achieve through fitness. Brands like Lululemon and Zumba use yellow in their branding to conjure up positivity.
3. Blue
Despite being a cooler color, various shades of blue work very well for fitness brands. Blue implies stability, trust, and reliability – traits people seek from fitness providers. Using blue makes brands feel professional, credible, and dependable. Blue reflects calm and focus, ideal for yoga, meditation, and mind-body disciplines. Notable brands using blue include Equinox, Blue Apron Fitness, and Peloton.
4. Purple
Purple mixes the passion and energy of red with the calm and wisdom of blue. Traditionally associated with luxury and imagination, purple offers an unique, creative vibe. It stands out while still projecting professionalism. Brands like SoulCycle and Pure Barre prominently feature purple in their branding and interior design to convey uniqueness.
5. Green
Green is universally associated with health, nature, and wellbeing. It helps reinforce that a brand provides healthy, balanced fitness solutions. Green is also linked to growth and renewal, emphasizing that fitness leads to positive change and regeneration. Brands like Life Time Fitness, CorePower Yoga, and Physique 57 incorporate green into logos and branding material.
6. Neutrals (black, white, gray)
While neutral colors seem bland, they lend modern, sophisticated style when done right. Brands like Barry’s Bootcamp, SLT, and Solidcore use black, white and gray as primary colors. This projects refinement and exclusivity, appealing to upscale urban consumers. Neutrals also offer versatility to incorporate bright accent colors.
Choosing the Right Accent Colors
In addition to key brand colors, smart use of accent colors adds visual interest. Vibrant accent shades complement main brand colors and attract consumer eyes. Consider these accent colors that play off main brand color schemes:
| With Orange | Yellow, green, blue |
| With Yellow | Orange, purple, gray |
| With Blue | Green, purple, yellow |
| With Purple | Yellow, green, orange |
| With Green | Blue, yellow, white |
| With Neutrals | Any bright accent color |
Balancing bright and neutral shades creates visually engaging branding. Accent colors introduce vibrancy while main brand colors anchor the overall scheme.
Color Tips for Fitness Brand Graphic Design
Some other helpful tips on using color effectively in fitness brand graphic design include:
– Use 60% main brand color, 30% neutral, 10% bright accent colors for ideal balance.
– Show restraint with accent colors – too many looks disjointed.
– Make sure text stands out against background colors.
– Consider color psychology – energizing warm shades in workout areas, calming cool shades in relaxation rooms.
– Use colors to reinforce brand identity – ie. green for nutrition brands, blue for relaxation focused ones.
– Consider target gender and age demographics – bold oranges and reds skew masculine, purples more feminine.
– Test colors on marketing material to ensure they convey the desired tone.
Examples of Effective Color Use in Famous Fitness Brands
Looking at examples from the top players in the fitness industry showcases how impactful smart use of color can be:
1. Orange + Blue – Orangetheory Fitness
Orangetheory makes orange its signature color, infusing studios and branding material with the energizing hue. Blue acts as a complementary counterpoint, providing cool contrast. This colorful dichotomy matches the heated intensity of workouts with the relaxed aftermath.
2. Yellow + Gray – Zumba
Zumba utilizes a lively yellow logo against a clean gray backdrop. The yellow projects the joy and excitement of Zumba classes, while gray provides sophisticated edge. The colors reflect Zumba’s dual identity as a fun, vibrant exercise program with serious fitness benefits.
3. Purple + Black + White – SoulCycle
SoulCycle’s purple branding pops against near constant use of black and white. The neutral base allows the vibrant purple to shine. The color scheme results in a look that feels exclusive, energetic, and spiritual. This aligns with SoulCycle’s identity as an inspirational, unique fitness experience.
4. Blue + Green – Equinox
Equinox emphasizes blue for trust and stability, reinforcing its position as a premier fitness leader. Green injects vitality and natural health to complement sophistication. The color combo projects Equinox’s brand personality – high-end, results-focused, balanced.
5. Red + Black – Barry’s Bootcamp
Barry’s Bootcamp accentuates intense red in branding to indicate the high-energy, cardio-heavy workouts within. Solid black contrasts elegantly with red for a refined yet powerful look. The bold color scheme aligns with the demanding, rockstar-status workouts Barry’s provides.
Conclusion
Color plays a profound role in crafting an effective brand identity for fitness companies. Smart use of color helps communicate a brand’s values, personality, and point of difference to attract ideal customers. While no universal formula exists, vibrant shades like orange, yellow, purple, and red tend to work exceptionally well in the fitness sector. Cooler tones like blue and green offer nice balance. Strategic accent colors and crisp neutrals like black, white and gray complete the look. Fitness brands must select colors that energize and inspire people to be active, healthy, and confident in reaching their fitness goals.
