Yellow kid-appeal characters.

Discussion in 'Transformers Toy Discussion' started by UnicronFTW, Feb 21, 2012.

  1. UnicronFTW

    UnicronFTW Don't blink.

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    Bumblebee, Cheetor, Hotshot, and now Bumblebee. The characters that are meant to relate to the kids in the audience. Cocky, young, a bit ignorant, but still capable. Kids love them. Kids buy all the toys.
    But, besides there character traits, they have one other thing in common...
    The color yellow.
    Why yellow? What's so special about yellow? Is it supposed to be a friendly color? Or a hot-headed color? What's the deal here?
    What do you think?
     
  2. Cortexitron

    Cortexitron Alternate Reality Patrol

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    Simply because it's the easiest color to pick out on the screen. It just stands out more amongst other characters, and on toy shelves...
     
  3. DecepticonSpike

    DecepticonSpike Member of the Scrappy Doo Fan Club

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    Sunstreaker is yellow, and he's about as far a kid appeal as you can get.
     
  4. Prime Jetscream

    Prime Jetscream HE PULLS THE STRINGS AND HE MAKES THEM RING

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    Spongebob.
     
  5. doctajones428

    doctajones428 Well-Known Member

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    Probably because Bumblebee was yellow, and all the other characters mentions are supposed to pay some sort of homage to him? I don't know. Yellow is a bright eye catching color, maybe they tested kids on what color they like the most?

    Just throwing random thoughts around
     
  6. DecepticonSpike

    DecepticonSpike Member of the Scrappy Doo Fan Club

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    I don't think Hot Shot was an homage to Bumblebee because at the time the only BB we had was G1, and he and Hot Shot have nothing in common.
     
  7. Kaymac

    Kaymac I'M REALLY FEELIN' IT!

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    Yellow is a very "soft" color. The reason Lego Minifigures are yellow is because it is a pleasant color to the eye.

    However, I think kid appeal characters can be colors other than yellow. Hound was the kid appeal for a while until they realized Bee would be better for that position. Hot Shot became blue in Cybertron. I think Bulkhead can be kid appeal in a way and he is green.
     
  8. doctajones428

    doctajones428 Well-Known Member

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    True enough. Makes sense with Cheetor at least
     
  9. Boy Blunder

    Boy Blunder Terrorcon King

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    Except that, in an early Armada series bible, Hot Shot was planned to be named Bumblebee.
     
  10. Lbsammills51

    Lbsammills51 Well-Known Member

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    Funny thing is, I have all of my Bumblebees/Goldbugs, Cheetors and Hot Shots displayed together in a "kid-friendly shelf." It's so filled with yellow that Cybertron Hot Shot sticks out like a sore thumb with all of his blue.
     
  11. TrueNomadSkies

    TrueNomadSkies Well-Known Member

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    Yep. I think it's more of a mental/colour spectrum thing than anything else, especially since it remains a strong standout, regardless of what's around it. That's sort of why yellow's used for highlighters & firetrucks, even if they take it a step further & opt for neons. For example, I just did a quick scroll through this thread, and Kaymac's avatar was the 1st thing to grab my attention.
     
  12. UnicronFTW

    UnicronFTW Don't blink.

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    I guess it would also explain why all of movie/prime Bumblebee toys are that bright caution-tape yellow wheras there respective incarnations are more of a gold.
     
  13. TrueNomadSkies

    TrueNomadSkies Well-Known Member

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    I dunno. It was just a theory that made sense to me, even if every degree of yellow doesn't fit exactly. Gold's a rather royal colour, though. :) 
     
  14. transfan681

    transfan681 Retired TF Collector

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    so true
     
  15. CURAMEN

    CURAMEN LOS ANGELES COLLECTIVE

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    I'm guessing that the color yellow can target both girls and boys since the color pink is generalized as a girl's color and the color blue is generalized as a boys color... That's the best I got. :confused: 
     
  16. Alphearion

    Alphearion Doctor Spaceman

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    I know why! Because Hasbro subconsciously HATES me! "Because yellow stands out" HA! Not if you are like me and all you see is grey when you look at it!
     
  17. Bumblebee765

    Bumblebee765 Wrecker

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    LEGO Minifigures are yellow so as to show no racial status with them. Except with the licensed themes, those have different skin tones to reflect the appearances of on-screen characters, like Harry Potter for example. :wink:  Nothing to do with being a "soft color".
     
  18. bny888

    bny888 バグバイト

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    Before the G1 Bumblebee, there was the pre-Transformers/Microchange Wagen, basically the same except for the stickers. It came in yellow, blue and red.

    I don't know why the yellow one was the basis for the G1 cartoon Bumblebee, maybe because it is the brightest and most eye-catching among the three colors. Maybe also because there were other red/blue characters like Optimus Prime, Cliffjumper, etc.
     
  19. Fishdirt

    Fishdirt Tin Toy Transformer

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    Yellow is the psychological color of caution, anger and is the most likely to grab attention (because of the caution aspect). It's also the worst color on the eyes.

    Color Psychology - Yellow

    That being said...


    Bumblebees in real life are yellow and black...

    Cheetahs in real life are yellow and black....

    Hot shot is the random.
     
  20. TrueNomadSkies

    TrueNomadSkies Well-Known Member

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    Pikachu and the X-Men suits were also yellow, and I think I remember reading an article about why Pikachu was chosen to be yellow & how this was basically the reasoning for it.