The colour scheme at the Wimbledon Championships is an instantly recognisable purple and green combination.
Every year, areas around the grounds are branded with the two colours, along with a tinge of white.
However, this was not always the case, as those colours have only been used since 1909. Prior to that, Wimbledon’s colour scheme for more than 30 years was red, blue, yellow and green.
There are no official records as to why the colours changed, but it is thought that the switch was due to them being deemed too similar to those used by the Royal Marines.
There are many theories surrounding why purple and green were chosen instead, but whatever the reason, Wimbledon has benefitted significantly.
That’s because in 2016, organisers were able to trademark the colour scheme – specifically the use of shades Dark Green (Pantone 349 C) and Purple (Pantone 268 C) together.
This means that not only have they been able to profit out of the unique combination, but also that others cannot copy it, which can help with issues such as scam ticket websites posing as the All England Club.
It also means that only Wimbledon can use the colour combination when branding tennis events, clothing and other merchandise.
Trademarking a specific colour scheme is not a simple process. Other famous brands have had attempts to register certain colour combinations rejected – such as Ikea, who applied to protect a yellow and blue colourway in 2005, but were unsuccessful.
However, other famous brands have had successful colour trademarks implemented – such as red soles only being permitted on Louboutin high-heeled shoes, and brown UPS vans and uniforms.
As to reasons why purple and green is used, there are a few theories – but most lack hard evidence.
Many think the green represents the famous grass courts, while the purple signifies the royal presence often seen at the tournament.
Club records suggest that the colours could come from an old poem that references Wimbledon’s “green and impurpled hills”. Another theory is that it is inspired by the Suffragette colours, but evidence is minimal.
