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COLOR OF THE YEAR »
How Marketers Can Ride the Wave of
2019’s COLOR OF THE YEAR:
Living Coral
Here’s how—and why—to infuse the shade into this year’s marketing campaigns.
By Stephanie Walden
move over, Ultra Violet— there’s a hot new
hue in town!
Pantone has chosen Living Coral, “an animating and life-affirming coral hue with a golden undertone,” as 2019’s Color of the Year.
Pantone’s trend-analyzing tradition dates back to 2000, when the brand selected Cerulean as the first-ever Color of the Year, dubbing
it the “color of the millennium.” Pantone’s announcement is a highly anticipated event in the arenas of fashion, beauty, home décor, and interior design. But brands across the entire spectrum of industry—including automobile and entertainment companies—have historically jumped on Pantone’s prestigious status as the experts when it comes to color. For example,
the 2015 film Minions released a custom color swatch in partnership with Pantone: “Minion Yellow,” or Pantone 13-0851 TCX.
Manufacturers, too, embrace the Color of
the Year. On Pantone’s website, the company hosts an online store featuring COY-themed items ranging from home appliances—a vibrantly colored espresso machine, for example—to wardrobe staples such as watches, clutches, ties, and socks.
“The Pantone Color of the Year selection
serves as a strategic direction for design
and color-conscious industries as well as a conversation piece around our culture and where it is going,” says Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute. “The significant buzz we see following the announcement is generated by brands, their audiences, designers, and consumers alike, joining the increasingly important conversation around the power of color.”
WHY IT MATTERS FOR MARKETERS
In an article on Bloomberg, writer Kyle Stock states, “Pantone has effectively become to pigments what Anna Wintour is to the wider fashion world: part trendsetter, part enforcer.” In other words, when Pantone speaks, savvy brands perk up and listen.
One of the key considerations for marketers regarding the Color of the Year is that it is selected based on significant research around consumer habits. Living Coral was chosen based on meticulous data and trend analyses.
“The Color of the Year selection process
. . . is a culmination of macrolevel color trend forecasting,” explains Pressman. “The global team of color experts at the Pantone Color Institute comb the world looking for new color influences.” She cites inspiration such as popular films, trendy art collections, emerging travel
destinations, and new lifestyles, play styles, and socioeconomic conditions.
“Influences may also stem from new technologies, materials, textures, and effects that impact color, relevant social media platforms, and even upcoming sporting events that capture worldwide attention,” Pressman says. For example, Apple’s use of coral in the newly released iPhone XR suggests the tone is gaining traction in the consumer electronics industry.
HOW BRANDS CAN RIDE THE WAVE
From a marketing perspective, the Color of the Year represents an opportunity for inventive print collateral, eye-popping packaging, and attention- grabbing digital campaigns. While it’s impractical for a brand to revamp its core color scheme
each year based on the Pantone selection, it’s still possible to implement inventive marketing tactics that capitalize on the buzz generated by the color.
For instance, companies may consider releasing limited-edition products—cosmetics, decorative items, company swag, etc.—in the COY. Major brands such as Sephora and Beats by Dre have historically employed this approach, partnering with Pantone to release products such as cosmetics and headphones in the selected shade.
C-0 M-65 Y-54 K-0 R-255 G-111 B-97