List of Top 7 Colours Trademarked By Famous Brands

Color is a strong force in branding and sometimes just as memorable as a logo or slogan. In some cases, companies can protect a specific color by trademark law. While no one can own a color, a trademark is granted when the color has been used consistently over time and associated so strongly with a specific brand in consumers' minds that it acquires "distinctiveness" or "secondary meaning." When the color does not have a purely functional purpose, it is possible to obtain a trademark that will identify the source of goods or services in a given industry. 

When color is trademarked, it becomes a protectable asset under law, meaning that a company is protected against competitors using confusingly similar colors for the same or similar goods or services. Trademarking color involves applying to a trademark office, usually with evidence of their use over a period of time, and public awareness from the time of use. This provides them with rights to the color under their brand identity, and it affects their position in the market.

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Top 7 Colours Trademarked By Famous Brands

Here are the top 10 colours that are legally owned by famous brands, along with the trademark use and country of their origin: 

1. Tiffany Blue - Tiffany & Co.

Tiffany Blue is perhaps the most famous brand colour in the world. Immediately associated with luxury and elegance, the soft blue hue is trademarked by Tiffany & Co. for use in its product packaging and promotional materials.

 It is so unique that the company also claims exclusivity to the use of the colour in the jewelry space. It is a strong visual representation of high-end craftsmanship and timeless elegance.

2. Purple - Cadbury

Cadbury Purple is a deep royal purple colour that has come to be identified with the Cadbury chocolate brand. Cadbury has applied to trademark this specific colour in the UK and Australia for use with its product packaging. 

Cadbury has turned to the courts to protect this trademark, since it forms a cornerstone of Cadbury's brand identity. Cadbury Purple evokes a number of brand attributes: quality, tradition, and indulgence, all of which suit Cadbury's culturally embedded brand story as a chocolate maker.

3. Pink - Mattel (Barbie) 

Barbie Pink is bright, fun, and unmistakably branded to the Barbie line.  Trademarked by Mattel, the unforgettable bright pink can be found on packaging, toys, and promotions alike. It is not just a design element but is associated with all the memories of fun, fashion, and imagination associated with Barbie, and therefore, an important part of the Outright Barbie brand association.

 This particular shade of pink has been so entrenched in the product/doll itself that it has become a part of the earth's organization of cultural icons, which further secures it as a brand.

4. Red - Christian Louboutin 

Louboutin Red is the high-gloss cherry that adorns the soles of Christian Louboutin's haute couture shoes. Louboutin Red has been trademarked in many jurisdictions; the glorious red sole has become more than a brand; it has evolved into an international fashion phenomenon.

 Time and time again, the brand has faced legal challenges, successfully protecting its colour and meaning as a protectable design feature. The red and black represent boldness, glamour, and high fashion, and are the recognizable identifying mark with each and every step taken in the footwear.

5. Magenta - T-Mobile (Deutsche Telekom)

T-Mobile Magenta is a bright, very noticeable colour which is crucial to the brand's visual identity development in a competitive telecom universe.  Sponsored and owned by the parent company Deutsche Telekom, this colour is a trademark protected under laws in advertising, branding, promotional materials, and more. 

T-Mobile has pursued other companies legally for violations of their trademark using similar colours or combinations of colours, or colour shades. The colour expresses energy, innovation, and youthfulness, and the concepts and feelings are part of the brand imagery.