NJOMACS

Colour-coding is the systematic and standard application of colour to aid in classification and identification, mainly used in various fields of medicine for different purposes. These visual elements, particularly colour, play a critical but often under-analyzed role in health communication strategies. This study explored how colours are used to convey emotions and therapeutic intent in health campaigns, employed a semiotic framework to decode their symbolic meanings and communicative effectiveness. Drawing its theoretical lenses on Peircean semiotics and colour-emotion theories, it investigated select print and digital health campaign materials across themes such as mental health, HIV/AIDS awareness, COVID-19, and reproductive health. The research identified dominant colour codes. For instance, blue for calmness, red for urgency or danger, green for wellness, and analyzed how they work in tandem with textual and pictorial elements to shape viewer perception. It adopted a qualitative content analysis and purposive sampling approach. The findings suggested colours not only guide emotional responses but influenced message interpretation, trust, and therapeutic potential of communication. Moreover, cultural contexts affect the symbolic interpretation of colours, pointed the need for localized design strategies. However, contributed to visual communication and health promotion literature by emphasizing colour as a semiotic and therapeutic tool. The findings have implications for campaign designers, public health communicators, and policymakers interested in enhancing emotional engagement and therapeutic resonance in health advocacy.