What color is the Northeast? An analysis of the visual language (images and colors) of tourism advertisements

Abstract

Colors play a very important role in all aspects of people's lives. It would be impossible to imagine a world without this visual perception, which is capable of influencing decisions and arousing emotions by the mere fact that it can be perceived. Despite being a physiological event (visualizing an image, a color), this act awakens a subjective sensitivity that is dependent on the context in which it occurs. The objective of this research is to present a descriptive and qualitative analysis of the use of colors in tourism advertisements in the Northeast region, and how this use impacts the perception of images and the choices made by individuals in these advertising campaigns. Advertising cards (posters and virtual ads) of tourism agencies were collected, and submitted to a detailed analysis of all the signs that compose the image and text, seeking to elucidate points of convergence between these constructions, in the light of Goethe’s color theory and the psychological analysis of colors. The results of this study confirm the premise that colors play a key role in the public's choice of travel routes and influence their perceptions, according to the sensations that the colors provoke in the individual.