The Pantone Colour of the Year announcement is one of the most awaited in the design world.
This year, we are looking forward to using the 25th Colour of the Year – Peach Fuzz. This light and delicate colour sits between pink and orange, and we are already imagining plenty of uses.
According to Pantone, “13-1023 Peach Fuzz captures our desire to nurture ourselves and others. It’s a velvety gentle peach tone whose all-embracing spirit enriches mind, body, and soul.”
Even if you aren’t in the design world, you’ve probably heard a lot about the Pantone colour of the year, and you may be wondering just who chooses this colour, and why it is so important.
Who is Pantone?
Pantone is a company that is best known in the design circles for the Pantone Matching System – a proprietary colour system that is used particularly in the printing, graphic design and fashion design industries.
The colour system is made up of a large number of standardised colours, all of which are identified by a unique code. It is these codes, and this system, that ensures consistency and accuracy when colours are being reproduced across different mediums and materials.
In addition to this matching system, Pantone provides colour consulting services, colour trend forecasting and licences its colour standards for use in a variety of products and applications.
Pantone, and the Pantone Colour of the Year are widely recognised and respected amongst designers, and they are considered the global authority on colours.
How is the Pantone Colour of the Year Selected?
You would imagine something that is as important to the graphic design and printing industries would involve careful consideration of several factors and it does. While we don’t quite know the specific details that the team of colour experts go through (that is proprietary information), we do know that there are a few factors that dictate how the Colour of the Year is chosen.
Global Trends: The colour experts at Pantone analyse trends across several industries including fashion, design, art, technology and entertainment. They even take into account socio-economic factors from around the world. They observe emerging colours in these fields, and what the potential impact may be on consumer preferences and behaviours.
Cultural Significance: The chosen colour often reflects cultural movements, societal shifts and significant events that are happening across the world in a broad sense. Pantone’s expert team seeks to choose a colour that will resonate with people on a deeper level.
Colour Psychology: There is a large element of psychology that comes into choosing the Pantone Colour of the year. The colour selecting team will evaluate how colours evoke certain feelings, moods and attitude, and how it may be used to communicate specific messages or values.
Consultation: What better to do when choosing such a significant factor in the design world, than to speak to expert designers, influencers, brands and industry professionals to gather insights and perspectives on trends and preferences. The colour team also takes into consideration any feedback from the global network of Pantone colour partners.
Pantone conducts extensive research and analysis into predicting future colour trends, as well as anticipating which colours will be most influential over the next 12 months. This research often involves monitoring fashion runaways and shows, design exhibitions, trades shows, and customer behaviour across many other areas to find sources and inspiration.
Overall, it is a carefully curated process, combining intuition, market analysis, and cultural awareness to identify a colour that represents consumer needs, and preferences.
When is the Pantone Colour of the Year Announced?
The new colour of the year tends to be announced by Pantone in December of the previous year, which allows for time to generate conversations around the upcoming colour trend, and how it might be used across various industries.
How You Can Use the Pantone Colour of the Year in your Business
While you, understandably, don’t want to move too far from your branding, there are certainly several strategic ways that you can use the Pantone Colour of the Year.
Product Development: When manufacturing or selling products, you may want to consider producing a product that incorporates the Colour of the Year. This may look like making new products in the chosen colour, creating a limited-edition version or updating the colours of existing products.
Marketing Materials: Use the chosen colour in printed marketing materials such as advertisements, banners, flyers and social media posts. This can not only help your brand appear on-trend, but it will also attract attention from those who are interested in your local products or services.
Packaging Design: If it has been a while since you’ve given your packaging an overhaul, now is a great time to do it. A colour like Peach Fuzz could help your products stand out on the shelf, and when used in conjunction with other marketing assets, can help to create a cohesive brand identity.
Retail Displays: If you have a retail outlet, using the Pantone Colour of the Year in your retail displays and store decorations can create a visually appealing and welcoming environment for shoppers. If you have a range of new or interesting products, using the colour can help to draw attention to those products.
Customisation and Personalisation: This one isn’t applicable to all businesses, but if you offer customisation and personalised product options, allowing customers to choose products in a Colour of the Year range, or personalise with these colours can create a sense of exclusivity, catering to customers who look for unique and on-trend products.
You may not have considered it, but utilising the Pantone Colour of the Year in your marketing assets not only showcases your brand’s creativity and ability to adapt to current trends, but allows you to strengthen the connection with customers, driving business growth.
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