When it comes to tanning salon aesthetics, one thing almost always seems to be true: owners love a summery look. As a person who has done branding work and graphic design, I know there’s a lot of love for the days of summer in this industry. It makes sense, too. Everyone associates tanning with vacations, summery days, and time out at the beach.
While there’s nothing wrong with using summer colors like gold, brown, and blue, the truth is that it can be difficult to set yourself apart from the rest of the industry via colors. In the world of graphic design, having a brand that stands out is an investment that always pays off in the future.
If you are considering a rebrand as part of your company’s move, you need to consider the color palette you want to use. Here’s my two cents on the matter.
The Tried And True Color Palettes
Colors: Brown, gold, yellow, tan, green, blue
When designing a “tan brand,” certain colors just make sense. Generally speaking, colors that remind people of the beach or island greenery tend to be the “tried and true” color palette for people. These are the colors people have seen in tanning salons for decades—and they work.
They are summery and easy to associate with tanning. However, this is the “easy way out” of the branding conundrum because it’s what people expect and because it’s what works. While it won’t look bad or out of place, this palette can make your salon a little forgettable if you’re not careful.
The best way to remedy the issue of being another face in the crowd is to have a truly memorable, fun, or unique brand. For example, Tiki Image is known for having a “tried and true” color palette, but they keep things unique with a classic, retro-chic tiki theme that appears on their branding.
My Verdict: It can work well for you, but you may need to put in extra effort to stand out in a crowd. With that said, it’s “tried and true” for good reason…It works!
The Ultra-Luxe Look
Colors: Gold and Black
This is a newer twist on the “tried and true” branding, but there’s a twist. This is a brand color scheme that features only two colors—and you’ve likely seen brands with this color scheme in a wide range of different industries.
You may have seen it in nightlife, on the calling cards of one of those ultra-chic “social clubs” that are all the rage. In the world of cannabis marketing, the gold and black palette started to take off as the standard look of luxury smoking items. The same can be said of wines and champagne brands. It’s also become a favorite among luxury gyms, too.
In many cases, it’s also a brand that comes with fancy cursive writing or bold, blocky prints. I wouldn’t be surprised if you can already recall a couple of logos that already match this description perfectly.
The problem with the generic Ultra-Luxe palette is that it’s everywhere. You can’t even tell what industry it is when you look at the branding for it anymore. If you want something luxurious, you might want to reconsider this option.
My Verdict: This color palette is wildly overdone across a wide range of different industries, to the point where using this palette can end up harming your ability to brand your company effectively. People are starting to see this as a color palette for “faux luxe” items, and perhaps, rightfully so.
If you currently use this brand color palette, it may make sense to keep it if you’re already widely recognized in your region. With that said, it may make more sense to go through rebranding by adding a third color or switching out black for a different color.
Bright And Neutral
Colors: A neutral color (black, beige, white, grey) paired with a bold color like hot pink, neon green, fire engine red, or an ombre gradient of two bold colors.
In a world that seems to be totally fixated on neutral, muted colors, seeing a splash of bright colors is a breath of fresh air. Bright colors have a lot of perks, branding-wise. They offer an upbeat, friendly, and fun touch to a brand’s color palette. They’re also fairly eye-catching.
If your brand features one specific bold color as its main portion of branding, it’ll likely become one of the most recognizable parts of your brand’s presence. A good example of this is Glo Tanning, with its iconic white and pink palette.
Of course, there are some more “generic” bold and bright combinations that are popular in salon-adjacent industries such as spas. White and green, for example, is popular among techy, organic spas as well as medspas.
The color green is associated with freshness and health, making it an obvious choice for venues that prioritize wellness. If your tanning salon is poised to become a local wellness center, adding a splash of green might make a lot of sense.
The best part of this is that you don’t even have to select colors that are heavily linked to sunlight to make it work. Turquoise and white, or a turquoise-green gradient would also look great as part of a company’s brand kit, too.
The Verdict: If you’re looking for a way to add a modern twist to your salon’s brand, this is the way to do it. Bold colors, bright hues, and adding shades that “pop” will grab attention and also help you stand out in a crowd.
With most other branding palettes, the main focus of the brand will be the logo and font. If you choose a bold color as your main palette choice, this may not always be the case. Rather, your brand’s focal point might be the color itself rather than any graphics or fonts you might choose.
Black And White
Colors: Black and White
Of course, the other major trend you can choose is to opt for a black and white motif. It’s a great pick if you want to save money on business cards, if you want to make your salon’s brand print-friendly, or if you want it to be as timeless as possible.
Black and white is bold. It’s perennially modern. It’s timelessly chic and will always get the nod of approval from the fashion industry. If black and white was a clothing item, it’d be the “Little Black Dress” of branding.
However, this branding set has the same issue that other common palettes have: it can be easy to get lost in the crowd. Once again, you may have to work to find the right logo or font to set you apart if you choose to go without color in your brand kit.
The Verdict: Black and white never go out of style. This color scheme also has the quiet perk of being the most affordable in terms of printing, too. However, you may struggle with standing out in a crowd.
Thankfully, you can avoid that pitfall by hiring the right graphic designer and marketing gurus. After all, it’s their job to make sure that your brand pops, isn’t it?
