Australia is at risk of being governed by a party of “blue ties”, according to Prime Minister Julia Gillard. But if the science of colour choice proves anything, male politicians would be wise to keep wearing blue.
Addressing the launch of Labor’s ‘Women for Gillard’ campaign yesterday, Gillard warned that women would be “once again banished from the centre of Australia’s political life” under a government led by Tony Abbott.
“I invite you to imagine it, a prime minister, a man with a blue tie, who goes on holiday to be replaced by a man in a blue tie, a treasurer who delivers a budget wearing a blue tie,” she said.
While she can be forgiven for forgetting that Wayne Swan was wearing a blue tie on the night he delivered the Budget, there’s actually some merit to why blue is the colour of choice for male politicians.
Back in 2009, a study released in Science magazine found that the colour of a politician’s tie may reflect the message they are attempting to convey.
According to the study, a red tie indicates the ultimate power aesthetic. Politicians will wear red when they want to convey strength and passion in their message. A blue tie is a symbol of peace and openness – reflecting the aura of persistence and sincerity.
“Through associations with the sky, the ocean and water, most people associate blue with openness, peace and tranquility,” said study leader Juliet Zhu of the University of British Columbia. “The benign cues make people feel safe about being creative and exploratory. Not surprisingly it is people’s favourite colour.”
That’s probably not the image of the Liberal party that Gillard was trying to paint.