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Get your purple on with Yahoo! Messenger

October 9, 2008 on 10:00 am | In 9.0 version, Fun Stuff | 78 Comments

Did you know that purple is the official color of Yahoo!? We use it in our company logo and products, and if you visit our headquarters, you’ll find it colors our conference rooms, chairs, cubicle walls, carpet, buses, even the fire hydrants.

You may wonder why we love purple so much. It started out as an accident – one of our founders painted a wall in the first office and realized the discount color he’d purchased had a distinct purple tinge to it. Since then, it’s stuck. Now, as the color that represents us, purple inspires our creativity and ingenuity, and encourages us to live life with an exclamation point.

Right now we have a campaign going on around the theme “Start Wearing Purple”. It was inspired by the song of the same name by Gogol Bordello (see the video below). We thought it was the perfect irreverent take on the spirit of purple.

Yahoo! Messenger is also spreading the purple with some new audibles, an IMVironment and spiffy purple Avatar gear (audibles and IMV only available on Yahoo! Messenger 8.1 and 9.0).

To try out the six new audibles, click the audibles icon ( ) in your conversation window, click on “More Audibles”, select “See All Audibles” and then click on “Purple”. You’ll see some familiar faces that have something new (and purple) to say.

We also “purple-ized” the popular Falling Leaves IMV. This new “Purple Leaves” IMV can be found under the IMVironment menu in your IM window. Be sure to try out the Buzz button when you’re using it in your IM conversation. Try the Purple Leaves IMV now (you must be logged into Yahoo! Messenger 8.1 or 9.0).

And to get your Avatar to start wearing purple, head over to the purple gallery on the Yahoo! Avatars site. There’s even a few emoticon t-shirts you can try on. If virtual items aren’t satisfying enough, head over to the Yahoo! Company Store.

To find out more about the “Start Wearing Purple” campaign, visit http://startwearingpurple.com. And check out the video below for the original “Start Wearing Purple” song that inspired it.

Sarah Bacon
Product Manager

78 Comments

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  1. and of course, the only item that I want is not for sale: a purple Yahoo! Bike

    Comment by GuillaumeB — October 9, 2008 #

  2. Then why is the OneConnect app icon blue? 90% of iPhone/Touch apps are blue; it’s enough to drive a person crazy. Yahoo’s icon should be purple and yellow.

    Comment by Craig — October 9, 2008 #

  3. Agree with Craig.

    Comment by Lucky — October 9, 2008 #

  4. i think this is really cool

    Comment by kaitlyn — October 9, 2008 #

  5. What is this vidio for? The only thing I have purple is a Pingen shirt!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Comment by l3amagirl — October 9, 2008 #

  6. i have kost all of my contact from the old version how can i get them back

    Comment by brenda blair — October 11, 2008 #

  7. Cool, Purple is a cool color, the yahoo Y is red, not purple, but I Guess purple is fine.

    Comment by Raffi — October 11, 2008 #

  8. hmmm…i’ve been using yahoo! messenger 9 for months now,,but there is no “Purple” Audible and IMV…should i re- install yahoo!messenger 9??

    Comment by Kimberly — October 12, 2008 #

  9. Hey! I love purple! that’s my favorite color ;-)

    Comment by Shirin — October 13, 2008 #

  10. I also love purple! I’m new here. Nice to be here.

    Comment by Bella — October 13, 2008 #

  11. OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    PURPLE IS LIKE THE BEST COLOR EVER!!!!!!!!!!!
    I LOVE IT

    Comment by $#0p@#0!i[ — October 13, 2008 #

  12. PURPLE IS OKAY, BUT NOT MAY COLOR

    Comment by terrilee — October 14, 2008 #

  13. … AhUh .. pUrplE iS onE hEck oF a colOr … Cute .. i lIke It tOO .. bUt .. UHmm .. I prEfEr geen .. mY fAvE cOlOr .. iNdEed .. (^_^) .. pEAcE Out GUys!! .. Aym A nEwbIe Irr .. tHe nAmE iS ghEn .. NIcE tO mEEt yOu aLL ..

    Comment by ghen — October 14, 2008 #

  14. Purple is my brithstone and favorite color . @ this monent I’m starting a project 2 redecorate my bedroom . In what color u say from top to bottom . PURPLE . done with a little taste of france. .I just mite pull it off . wish me luck……….

    Comment by libby — October 15, 2008 #

  15. PURPLE IS COLOR FOR THIS YEAR 2008 ! I LOVE IT.

    Comment by BONG — October 15, 2008 #

  16. i love the color of purple i ware it almost everday that good that the y is going purple

    Comment by natasha — October 16, 2008 #

  17. i think purple also suitable because i love purple too…..hehe..nice job guys….i am new here..nice to meet you all….

    Comment by nur shahirah zafirah — October 16, 2008 #

  18. the song reminds me of a very wasteful stupid video something that u would see on tv. i hope money wasnt wasted in making that lame video. its just to annoy the intellengent folks. America is in serious crisis and people seem not to care or want to do something about it. so much time is wasted on things like this. while the US is finanical mess and in harms way. but i do like the color purple.

    Comment by kelly — October 17, 2008 #

  19. i ♥ purple

    Comment by ERika — October 18, 2008 #

  20. I love purple color, it’s my favorate most.

    Comment by fhat — October 21, 2008 #

  21. purple is the best colour evaaaaaaaaaa

    Comment by deion — October 21, 2008 #

  22. Hi, i really like that colour on my yahoo messenger. Its really good.

    Comment by leila — October 21, 2008 #

  23. Ladies in Red Hats also wear “PURPLE” after they reach 50 years young with their great RED Hats.

    Comment by Pug — October 21, 2008 #

  24. I always though Yahoo’s color was yellow…go figure lol

    Comment by Sherona — October 22, 2008 #

  25. I like purple color so much and I like wearing purple t shirt on sunday’s

    Comment by hayat — October 22, 2008 #

  26. So guess Start wearing purple but I’ll have 2 think that should I… ??? HaHaHaHaHa

    Comment by Tahir Afridi — October 22, 2008 #

  27. you know i didnot like purple but this one is really loveable!

    Comment by sailika — October 22, 2008 #

  28. i love the new devlopment hope more’s on the way

    Comment by slickdart — October 22, 2008 #

  29. Take the red of the Y! logo and the blue of the screen background, and have them merge/blend together towards the center of the page
    Everybody knows that purple is the color of royalty. And Y! needs to show everybody that they are indeed leaders within the industry. Be more direct, with more options, and pursue different paths. For example, how cool would it be to view, and talk directly with our astronauts in space? Or perhaps a member of the crew on a deep sea submersible? Or maybe with geology/vulcanologist’s as they research volcanoes, canyons, and caves, even beneath the earth’s surface? Or go along on one of those planes that plunges thru hurricanes.
    The contrast color should not be yellow though, but it should be Gold! Not gaudy, displacing the effect of the purple but more like an accent. Complete with the metalflake/candy glistening to it, so that it really stands out tall, proud, with the dignity of sophisticated culture. It would show that through teamwork, dedication, perseverance, and the mixing of the many various backgrounds that we come from, that we, as humans, are as unique, and different, yet striving towards one common goal, as are the stars that light up the darkened skies at night.
    Now that’s what I call making strides in communication for peace.

    Comment by themaninthemoon — October 22, 2008 #

  30. Purple or Mauve is a color that we often don’t see much….it would be a welcome change.

    Comment by Brian — October 22, 2008 #

  31. “Start Wearing Purple” love it!!!

    Comment by marygeneger — October 22, 2008 #

  32. the purple color is the color the abundante life school use for uniform in my my country turks and caicos I love it

    Comment by ramon castillo — October 22, 2008 #

  33. i really don’t like purple it’s 2 weird of a color!

    Comment by maurice — October 22, 2008 #

  34. It has happened that I love purple! Wau!

    Comment by Gery — October 22, 2008 #

  35. i like purple because it colour is shiny

    Comment by tiebane — October 23, 2008 #

  36. I Love purple

    Comment by fazal — October 23, 2008 #

  37. Good and atractive colour

    Comment by samuel — October 23, 2008 #

  38. hi

    Comment by talaat — October 23, 2008 #

  39. hi

    Comment by marjan — October 23, 2008 #

  40. What a lame video, reminds me of Borat. Looks like something more professional could have been done, other than looking like an amateur video shot in a pub.

    pandora13

    Comment by Strohecker — October 23, 2008 #

  41. I LOVE PURPLE FOR WAT I HEAR

    Comment by SAMUEL — October 23, 2008 #

  42. purple is really a nice colour though.i loooove it

    Comment by cynthia — October 23, 2008 #

  43. PURPLE i like that color but its not my favorite color i mean it does not have any blazzz to it well maybe to some people i guess but why cant it be like a lime green or something light and fun like that but what do i no but just to let u no all most nothing is purple on yahoo instant messeger.

    Comment by Jasmine — October 23, 2008 #

  44. purple’s O.K. – not my favorite color – but … i think it’s my number 5 favorite color

    :)

    Comment by mashfreak — October 23, 2008 #

  45. very goood

    Comment by ahmed — October 23, 2008 #

  46. hi big purple. purple is a pretty color. it matchs alot of things sometimes like black. thnaks kayla levy

    Comment by kayla — October 23, 2008 #

  47. ♥♥i really love this big purple!!!!!!!
    gogogogogo!!!!♥♥

    Comment by rovilyn — October 23, 2008 #

  48. it”s my favorite color…….my birthday soooooooon and I wish the world will be purple jast in my day
    I”m veeeeeeeeeere happy to seing my favorite color in my messenger

    Comment by sweeeeeeeeeeeet>TH — October 23, 2008 #

  49. the color purple is really cool.

    Comment by lily — October 23, 2008 #

  50. PURPLEEEEEEEE…I love dat colour so much…but Lilac kind of drives me crazy.

    Comment by Mary ukandu — October 24, 2008 #

  51. Hmm! This is absolutely fantastic to say ’cause I have been waiting for this colour since a long time ago.
    Kudos to the crew that get this done. I think all my chat-friends will be notify by me.
    I love that PPPURRRPLE colour, baby!
    Hasta la vista.

    Comment by Mike Abiodun — October 24, 2008 #

  52. i love purple thats the really great color,its fantastic

    Comment by jocelyn — October 24, 2008 #

  53. Purple is my favourite colour so i’ll like purple messanger

    Comment by jasgeet — October 24, 2008 #

  54. the color purple is really interesting and i feel comfrtabel when i see this color, purple is realy great!!!!!!!!!!

    Comment by lily — October 23, 2008 #

    Comment by raheeb — October 24, 2008 #

  55. purple is the color of hope thats why i like purple

    Comment by jessie r — October 24, 2008 #

  56. purple is gud, luv it very much. purplemail, yo let it roll.

    Comment by orlakhunlay — October 24, 2008 #

  57. Purple is an alright color but it isnt really my favorite color… mine is baby blue… because purple doesnt really look good on me… oh well YAY for purple!:)

    Comment by jessica — October 24, 2008 #

  58. Hi, everyone purple color is very much beautiful and favorite and also interesting for special purpose or for any occasion;- like_ {birthday, marriage anniversary}……………………….

    Comment by M.Usman Ali Raza — October 24, 2008 #

  59. i love light purple.

    Comment by maryam — October 24, 2008 #

  60. I think you have good choice I love it .this colour is so calm and happy .

    Comment by Gisso — October 24, 2008 #

  61. I”m veeeeeeeeeere happy to seing my favorite color in my messenger

    Comment by mohsen — October 24, 2008 #

  62. purple 4 life,without it colours are incomplete…

    Comment by Nonso — October 24, 2008 #

  63. I think Purple is a sexy colour!!!!

    Comment by Faisal.CTg.BD. — December 1, 2008 #

  64. thats my colour……

    Comment by marlene rampersad — December 1, 2008 #

  65. HEY, I LOVE PURPPLE CHAT……….. WAOH? ITS COOLLLLLLLLL

    Comment by MIMI — December 1, 2008 #

  66. i agree with popular

    Comment by seko — December 1, 2008 #

  67. I guess purple is okay, next time lets change it to a guy color

    Comment by Jojo — December 1, 2008 #

  68. i love purple b’se is my favorite color

    Comment by anna — December 1, 2008 #

  69. I don’t think purple is neither feminine nor masculine. It is just a color. I don’t like to be stereotypical.

    Comment by Jacque — December 1, 2008 #

  70. hi

    Comment by hamed — December 2, 2008 #

  71. dostat daram

    Comment by taraneh — December 2, 2008 #

  72. weeee woooooow i love purple

    Comment by isha — December 2, 2008 #

  73. it is very good.

    Comment by Abdalla — December 2, 2008 #

  74. purple?not bad at all!sweet color.

    Comment by abonti — December 2, 2008 #

  75. i love nature, and any time i see the colour purple, i always think about the future.

    Comment by Mexz — December 2, 2008 #

  76. purpple is my best color,nd its nice on everybody

    Comment by olufunmi akande — December 2, 2008 #

  77. This is very useful. I like Purple color

    Comment by Niyonzima — December 2, 2008 #

  78. i love purple makes me look great i love my things in purple to

    Comment by princess — December 2, 2008 #

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