Understanding Navratri colours: The versatile role of Pink in marketing

We are celebrating the eighth day of Navratri, where the colour pink reigns, symbolising love, compassion, and nurturing, each quality celebrated by Goddess Mahagauri. Wearing pink on this day is supposed to embody openness to love and kindness, bringing a calming effect and a sense of peace.

But beyond this festive significance, the colour also holds a powerful place in the world of marketing, where its versatility goes beyond stereotypes. In this piece, we look at whether using colour in brand logos and messaging has succeeded in making brands seem approachable.

A colour, defying boundaries

Pink has a fascinating history in colour psychology. Traditionally, pink was associated with boys due to its proximity to red, which symbolises strength and power. Meanwhile, blue was the colour of the Virgin Mary, seen as delicate and feminine. However, in the mid-20th century, pink underwent a transformation largely driven by fashion and social trends. It went on to become associated with femininity, sweetness, and calmness. 

According to reports, by the 1890s and the early 20th century, manufacturers attempted to sell more children’s and infants’ clothes by colour-coding them, eventually associating pink as a colour for girls. After World War II, as society wanted to restore ‘traditional’ gender roles, bright, cheerful colours like pink were assigned to women and children, representing a return to domesticity after women’s wartime contributions in the workforce.

The colour started being used in women’s fashion, cosmetics, and advertising, with brands like Dove utilising it in their messaging and products. 

In modern branding, however, pink’s meaning has expanded far beyond its stereotypical associations. Today, pink represents a diverse range of emotions, including fun, sophistication, strength, rebellion, love and flirtation. The ability of pink to evoke contrasting qualities for different brands is one of the reasons why it’s such a powerful and versatile colour for brands.

Repurposing pink in branding 

Talking about the purpose of the colour in branding, Kunal Vora, Founder-Partner, ABND notes, “Pink doesn’t just sit pretty - it connects. It’s like comfort food for the eyes. So, when a brand chooses pink, it’s creating this emotional buffer, making things feel more approachable, more human.” Perhaps this is why the brand Mattel used the colour for its product Barbie to connect with children. 

In its lightest tones, pink symbolises fun, playfulness, and innocence. Mattel’s Barbie has long been associated with vibrant pink hues, representing femininity and confidence for decades. Despite the negative connotations of the colour being deemed as too delicate and enforcing unhealthy beauty standards for women, the release of the 2023 Barbie movie helped the brand reinvent itself. In 2023, as ‘Barbiecore’ took over with fashion pieces to brand collaborations including the colour to resonate with modern women, Mattel managed to reclaim the signature pink, symbolising Barbie as not only a children’s toy but also empowering.

Vora continues, “What’s fascinating is how pink has evolved. It’s become a symbol of empowerment and inclusivity, and brands that use it are often those willing to flip the script. It tells the consumer, ‘We see you, we are different, and we are not here to play by the old rules’.”

Pink now plays a central role in the evolution of many brands, showcasing how colours can be interpreted to engage different audiences. Brands leverage pink’s youthful energy, feminine associations, and sophisticated tones to tap into a wide spectrum of consumer emotions.

In QSRs, brands like Dunkin' Donuts use mid-tones of pink to project a fun, energetic image. These brands leverage pink’s vibrant energy to evoke excitement and approachability to stand out in crowded markets.

On the other hand, darker shades of pink can be interpreted as sophistication and calmness. Adobe XD, part of Adobe's suite of design tools, uses a darker, muted pink in its logo to reflect creativity and innovation. This subtle use of pink enables Adobe to appeal to professional designers while standing apart from competitors that use more traditional colour schemes.

Taking on a progressive tone

In India, pink holds layered meanings. Rutu Mody-Kamdar, Founder of Jigsaw Brand Consultants, shares that the colour is “traditionally seen as gentle and nurturing, yet in recent years, it has taken on a bolder, more progressive tone, symbolising femininity, compassion, and quiet strength.”

The personal care and beauty brands like Pond’s, Lotus and Lakme generally rely on pink to position themselves as feminine and nurturing. However, today, beauty brands attempt to convey emotions like self-expression and confidence through their marketing messages. 

Mody-Kamdar mentions, “Brands in India choose pink to tap into its dual appeal - it evokes warmth and intimacy while also signalling modernity, a balance that resonates deeply with consumers navigating tradition and change.”

The beauty brand Swiss Beauty taps into pink’s more glamorous side, using it to evoke femininity, beauty, and elegance in its packaging and marketing.

Vidushi Goyal, CMO at Swiss Beauty believes pink is more than just a colour; it's a celebration of beauty, joy, and self-expression. “It allows our customers to embrace their unique beauty every day while adding fun and playfulness with a dash of colours. Also, pink is a hue that resonates with love and friendship, perfectly reflecting our motto of being “Your Makeup BFF.”

Goyal further comments that the brand believes makeup is for everyone, and it intends to celebrate each person’s unique beauty and help them shine. “With pink as our signature colour, we strive to make beauty fun, accessible, and personal. Ultimately, we want to encourage everyone to express themselves with confidence and flair,” she continues.

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While pink stands tall with its vibrancy in branding, on occasions, the vibrant hue is often seen with its friend, orange in marketing messages. E-commerce fashion brands like Myntra, Nykaa and Zivame are seen adding hues of orange into their logos, websites, elevating the overall look and feel. The combination of the two colours in several brands seems to put across a message of harmony and fun. 

While Myntra and Nykaa go for the fluorescent shades of pink and orange to grab attention, Zivame focuses on muted tones of pink, evoking a sense of subtlety, calmness, and sophistication. These tones are often used to convey understated elegance. 

While the vibrant colour is used to express youthfulness and fun, Rutu Mody-Kamdar also notes, “Pink influences Indian consumers by striking an emotional chord, creating a sense of comfort and personal connection.”

Take Breast Cancer Awareness initiatives as an example. Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM) is celebrated in October to raise awareness about breast cancer and its importance. During this month, people around the world wear or display pink ribbons to show their support for the initiative. 

Stereotypically aligned as a colour to show the emotions of delicate, for the initiative, it symbolises strength, defiance, and solidarity. Using pink as a symbol of hope and courage, Breast Cancer Awareness campaigns have reinvented the colour’s softer, feminine connotations into one of resilience and power.

Beyond being associated with women and their causes, pink has also been utilised across industries. Kunal Vora says, “If you look at industries outside toys, pink pops up in some unexpected places. Tech and fashion, for example, are using pink to shake things up.”

Tech brands like LG use pink to convey their future-focused vision, flipping the narrative on what the colour traditionally represents. The brand has been using it to soften its tech-heavy image and highlight innovation, creativity, and forward-thinking attitudes. 

Another example is Instagram, which uses shades of pink in its gradient logo to evoke feelings of creativity, fun, and community. 

Meanwhile, the dating app Tinder, with its pink hues, plays on the emotions of love, flirtation, and excitement. The app's pink branding in its logo, digital communication and ads aligns with its purpose of fostering romantic connections and flirtation.

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Rajasthan, as a state, has incorporated pink in its architecture, clothing and more that go beyond gender roles. In cricket, the IPL team Rajasthan Royals owns pink, to stand out with the team’s jerseys and brand logo, in turn making a statement both on and off the pitch. 

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Whether a brand goes all in or uses it sparingly, pink makes a statement as it is emotional, bold, and memorable, Vora rightly puts forth. 

The ever-versatile pink offers a unique opportunity to connect emotionally with audiences, whether through softness, strength, or innovation. It’s a colour with the ability to transcend traditional boundaries and evoke deep emotions in consumers, making it a valuable asset in the world of marketing.