EAT! OR DIE! OR EAT!...ummm...

Wonderful article HERE on how we use red and yellow as a sign of DANGER! and as a sign of CHEAP FOOD AHEAD! Author David Barringer ponders the question, why do fast food joints and warning signs use teh same color schemes and yet they mean two completely different things. Looking at the image above forces you to read the lettering for context so what's the deal?
The answer is: they don't know:) There's a lot in this article about the neurology of color (we detect red well), psychology of color (we've learned to equate red with food), psychology of marketing (red and yellow worked for McDonalds and all followed suit) , evolutionary theory (red means healthy fruit)...but there are no concrete answers. The 'comments' on the bottom provide some intelligent conversation.
Ryan, Sep 1, 2006 posted that he'd read a similar article on food packaging HERE. The article is found on Today's Dietician and is titled 'Cueing Consumers to Buy' Here's what happens when marketers write:

Red and yellow, the trademark colors of fast food, encourage eating quickly and quick table turnover. Yellow (happy and warm) and red (stimulating and speed) are probably the most popular colors used on snack food packaging. Red, however, also indicates danger—of eating too much, too quickly, and too often.

So Red means danger and eat fast? We're back to where we started:)

Alright Zooheads...Stay Skinny and as always...

Stay Naked.

Kudos to AIGA.com for posting such a cool piece.