Where does color come from? How does it impact us, influence us, and inspire us?

I remember a story about my brother—he didn’t like the Redskins because of the colors. But our paternal grandmother was a diehard Dallas fan, so he sided with her and went to the dark side. As a little kid, I could understand his sentiment. I loved the team, proudly wore the full helmet and Doug Williams jersey, but I wasn’t bold enough to wear it to school.

Fast forward about 30 years, and burgundy and gold have made their mark on the world. There was a time when burgundy didn’t feel fresh, but looking back at Joe Gibbs’ era, you can see just how timeless the burgundy and gold combo really is.

Football is an electric experience, filled with weekly doses of war-like competition that entertain millions. Until 2022, I’d never been to a professional game in person. Watching at home or with friends worked just fine for me. For a while, I even felt like I jinxed the team every time I tuned in—they always seemed to lose when I was watching. Total buzzkill.

The colors and representation of a team are deeply tied to culture. It’s almost illegal how much emotional equity we invest in these teams, with little return other than pride, weekly bragging rights, and if you’re blessed, the ultimate annual prize: the Lombardi Trophy.

So how do brands capture our loyalty? How do they convince us to part with our hard-earned money to support these decades-old institutions? Color. That’s what I believe.

Think about it: McDonald’s, In-N-Out—both use similar colors but in very different ways, and each has built an incredibly loyal fan base. And when it comes to iconic colors like Dodger blue, would they have the same die-hard following if it were another shade of blue—or, heaven forbid, another color entirely?

This is what fascinates me about color.

My personal journey with burgundy and gold has even caught my daughter’s attention. She’s been to games, worn her own jersey, and joined me in watching the team play. She may very well be a fan for life, drawn in by the experience and the colors that define it all. She may very well be a fan for life forever tied to the burgundy and gold.