scorecardCan You Identify These 11 British Brands By Their Trademarked Colours Alone?
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Can You Identify These 11 British Brands By Their Trademarked Colours Alone?

If you need a hint, you can see which sector the brand sits in by highlighting the black rectangle below. The answer is on the new slide.

Can You Identify These 11 British Brands By Their Trademarked Colours Alone?

The Financial Times started using salmon pink paper in 1893, precisely to differentiate the title from its rival at the time, Financial News. Pink paper also used to be cheaper at that time.

The Financial Times started using salmon pink paper in 1893, precisely to differentiate the title from its rival at the time, Financial News. Pink paper also used to be cheaper at that time.

Highlight the black rectangle to see a hint.

Highlight the black rectangle to see a hint.

Family planning

Durex registered its light blue trademark in 2008: no other condom brand can use it.

Durex registered its light blue trademark in 2008: no other condom brand can use it.

Highlight the black rectangle to see a hint.

Highlight the black rectangle to see a hint.

Airline

The colour red is used in every branch of the Virgin empire, from airlines to music production. Virgin's domestic flights branch (which ground to a halt last month) was even called Little Red.

The colour red is used in every branch of the Virgin empire, from airlines to music production. Virgin

Highlight the black rectangle to see a hint

Highlight the black rectangle to see a hint

Automotive

The green colour of Land Rover is a legacy from the brand's racing years, when British cars were identified by the colour green, while Italians competed in red.

The green colour of Land Rover is a legacy from the brand

Highlight the black rectangle to see a hint.

Highlight the black rectangle to see a hint.

Telecommunications

O2 registered this colour blue in 2009. Many of the venues sponsored by the mobile operator, like the O2 Arena in London and O2 World in Berlin, are also branded in this colour. The company's internal magazine is called The Blue.

O2 registered this colour blue in 2009. Many of the venues sponsored by the mobile operator, like the O2 Arena in London and O2 World in Berlin, are also branded in this colour. The company

Highlight the black rectangle to see a hint.

Highlight the black rectangle to see a hint.

Pub chain

Greene is the surname of Benjamin Greene, one of the founders of Greene King brewery. The company uses the colour green as a powerful marketing tool. What's better than having a colour in the brand's very name?

Greene is the surname of Benjamin Greene, one of the founders of Greene King brewery. The company uses the colour green as a powerful marketing tool. What

Highlight the black rectangle to see a hint.

Highlight the black rectangle to see a hint.

Retail

Sainsbury's has been using orange in its supermarket for decades, but it has not always been the case: when the company first started branding its own products in 1882, the logo was green.

Sainsbury

Highlight the black rectangle to see a hint.

Highlight the black rectangle to see a hint.

Food and beverages

Cadbury trademarked its own tint of purple, called Pantone 2685C, in 2012. Cadbury's parent company, Mondelez International, also owns another chocolate brand with its own trademarked purple colour: Milka.

Cadbury trademarked its own tint of purple, called Pantone 2685C, in 2012. Cadbury

Highlight the black rectangle to see a hint.

Highlight the black rectangle to see a hint.

Fuel

In 1915 when the company was first launching in California, Shell chose bright red and yellow branding with a specific purpose: it wanted to differentiate from the rest of the US market by the customers of California by reminding them State's Spanish heritage. The company trademarked its colours in 1995.

In 1915 when the company was first launching in California, Shell chose bright red and yellow branding with a specific purpose: it wanted to differentiate from the rest of the US market by the customers of California by reminding them State

Highlight the black rectangle to see a hint.

Highlight the black rectangle to see a hint.

Retail

(There is a colour to guess: white!)

Again, what's better for branding than having the colour in the very name of the company? The White Company has done it for the past 20 years.

Again, what

Highlight the black rectangle to see a hint.

Highlight the black rectangle to see a hint.

Pet Care

The feature pink tint of Whiskas is a Pantone 248C: do not try to use it elsewhere!

The feature pink tint of Whiskas is a Pantone 248C: do not try to use it elsewhere!

Highlight the black rectangle to see a hint.

Highlight the black rectangle to see a hint.

Tobacco

Pall Mall has trademarked the feature colour of its menthol cigarettes. This prevents other brands, like Marlboro and Camel, using the exact same colour on their packaging.

Pall Mall has trademarked the feature colour of its menthol cigarettes. This prevents other brands, like Marlboro and Camel, using the exact same colour on their packaging.

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