Pantone Color of the Year
Each year we await the announcement of the Pantone Color Institute’s Color of the Year with curiosity. Will their selection herald an explosion in consumer goods, design, and fashion trends that incorporate the chosen color? (We’re thinking of you, Rose Quartz – aka Millennial Pink!). Or will their anointed tone fail to ignite, never quite capturing the world’s imagination in ways they might have anticipated? (Sorry, Illuminating.)
This year’s color choice is Viva Magenta. And for us, it’s a bit of a dichotomy. A luscious pinky-red, it’s described by Leatrice Eiseman, the Pantone Color Institute’s executive director, as “a color to celebrate with, an exuberant color that promotes optimism and joy.” We agree it’s a vivid hue, and certainly full of life.
On the other hand, it’s not quite what we were expecting, given these turbulent times. Weary from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, political divisiveness, and climate concerns, we were thinking more along the lines of something green in acknowledgment of our imperiled earth, and seemingly everyone’s urge to find respite and rejuvenation in nature. But we couldn’t have been more wrong.
Or were we? According to Eiseman, “In this age of technology, we look to draw inspiration from nature and what is real. Viva Magenta descends from the red family, and is inspired by the red of cochineal, one of the most precious dyes belong to the natural dye family as well as one of the strongest and brightest the world has known.” Perhaps we were limiting ourselves by thinking green.
Still, the fact that Viva Magenta was chosen by human trend prognosticators and then interpreted by the A.I tool Midjourney to create what Pantone described as an “endless new ecosystem to be explored, called ‘the Magentaverse,” has us pondering. An uber-natural color defined by A.I.? Perhaps Viva Magenta captures the zeitgeist better than we initially thought. Either way, there’s no denying its powerful pull toward the happier end of the color spectrum – and that’s a force we can all get behind.
Creative Brand Director
Drew brings his passion for graphic design to his role leading our marketing team and also partners with our designers to extend the options for our design work. “We can personalize our clients’ homes or offices with custom wall coverings, or develop digital branded experiences to enhance the corporate space,” he says. “The possibilities are endless and really set us apart as a firm.”