These companies all have something in common.

What could it be?

Besides all being fast food chains, they all use the color red.

And it's not a coincidence.

Color is just one of many tactics that companies use to connect with their customers.

And if swearing off fast food wasn't already hard enough, those colorful red logos might make it even harder to ignore.

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The average human can see 10 million colors.

But red is special.

Turns out, it was one of the first colors our ancient ancestors thought important enough to name.

Back before alphabets and writing, early human languages were surprisingly uncolorful.

There were words for black and white and red, but that's about it.

In fact, blue didn't even show up until thousands of years later.

As a result, we tend to have a deeper connection to red than any other color on the spectrum, and we react to it in certain ways that actually play to the advantage of fast food companies.

Researchers have found that red can evoke a sense of urgency.

It also has the innate ability to whet our appetites.

Of course, when you pair those two things together, you've got the perfect recipe for a hungry customer who wants food, now!

So that red logo isn't just a welcoming sign.

It's a sly seduction for your brain.

Now, it's unclear why red makes us feel this way, but perhaps it has something to do with where the word comes from.

Many ancient languages first named red after their word for blood.

For example, red in Hebrew looks like this, and it's pronounced ad-daum.

While blood looks like this, and it's pronounced daum.

But red's bloody beginning has transformed over millennia.

During medieval times, for example, red was worn by royals as a status symbol.

And today, brides in many parts of India are married in a red dress.

In fact, red is one of the few colors today that cultures all over the world tend to view positively, and it's no wonder that companies dedicate so much thought to their logos.

After all, we're a visual species.

Despite having five senses, 80% of all the information our brains process on a daily basis comes straight from our eyes.

And according to marketing company WebpageFX, nearly 85% of consumers say the main reason they chose one product over the other is color.

And another 80% said that colors are what give brands that memorable stamp of recognition.

Just think of what McDonald's would look like in blue, green, or pink.

Gah!

Ugh!

It's just not the same!

So what do you think?

Should fast food companies give up red?

Did you like what McDonald's looked like in pink?