Wanna Drive in Purple Rain?
Increasingly car makers are choosing names for colors that will grab the attention of browsing Internet buyers taking a virtual tool around the car lot. “Light brown” is nowhere near as enticing as “cinammon” and who could pass up merlot, white chocolate, and light French silk?
No, that’s not the plot of that movie you rented last weekend, but the alluring color names may turn your thoughts to fantasies of where that new ride may take you. Fantasies have a way of translating into purchases. Or at least that’s what the automotive design experts hope.
- Hyunda has orange crush and purple rain
- Mazda offers stormy blue mica
- Saturn has chili peper red
- and your Ford Focus can come in screaming yellow.
In a March 23 story for the Chicago Tribune, Rick Popely quoted John Krafcik, head of product development for Hyundai Motor America. “It’s a rare opportunity to have some fun in this industry and an interesting way to have a direct connection with consumers. A color name is like a wink to a consumer that says, ‘We’re haing some fun here.’”
To read more about dark cherry, kiwi green, or creme brulee, click here for Popely’s story.