Early on in his painting career, Picasso went through his famous “Blue Period,” during which all of his works were various tones of blue. The art was influenced by his depression, which itself is considered a “blue” sensation.
But, unlike Picasso, some people associate the color blue with a feeling that is all its own. In fact, some are able to associate the color with sounds, motions or smells. These people are called synesthetes, or people who have one or more forms of synesthesia.
A Boston University research team explains synesthesia to mean “senses coming together.” The phenomena occurs when two senses in the brain cross over, allowing one part of the brain to trigger a different part that is usually completely independent. Synesthetes have been known to see colors when shown sounds or printed numerals, smell different scents with motion, and taste colors.
These connections create what a 2003 Scientific American study calls a “no-man’s-land between fantasy and reality.” They help synesthetes recognize things more easily by adding a new dimension to their perception of the world. For example, when a participant in the same Scientific American study was shown a vague image of the number five, he concluded, “It’s fuzzy, but it looks red, so I guess it must be a five.”
This ability to process information through a part of the brain that does not usually do so is ground shaking and often underrated. The applications of this concept are endless, especially in the field of business. If businesses can take the idea of triggering multiple senses and apply it to the way they advertise, for example, then their ads will be much more effective.
Imagine seeing a commercial for Coca-Cola. It already triggers many of your senses–your vision, your hearing and your taste (if you catch your mouth watering). However, this is simple association. Coca-Cola is famous enough that people who might see the ad know what it tastes like, and know that the color red is the color of the brand.
If businesses were able to tap into the kinds of connections that are made by synesthetes–subconscious and even involuntary connections–then they can have real advertising power. Imagine you see an image of Coca-Cola and your brain tells your ears that you are hearing a soda can open. Viewing an ad could give you a sensory experience instead of being passive noises and colors.
Research is being conducted to figure out more about what causes synesthesia–but there is very limited research on how to induce the neural connections that the condition proves are possible. It would be wise for companies in particular to try to tap into the psychology of the synesthesia; they would have an advantage in the competitive market, which could earn them a little more green.
