A Return To The Classics: Pantone's 2020 Color of the Year
A Powerful Marketing Tool
Each year since 1999, Pantone has carefully analyzed trends, technology, and real world events to arrive at a single color they dub the Color of the Year. Pantone views this annual color selection, “an educational program that is intended to highlight the relationship between what is taking place in our global culture and how it manifests itself in color.” The shade drives many business decisions for that year, and tends to be prevalent in fashion, culture, marketing and more.
So what was Pantone’s pick for the new decade? Classic Blue. A hue described as calming and timeless, this enduring blue sets a stable foundation to build upon as we enter 2020.
Despite conflicting viewpoints about their announcement — and the opinion that it may be too “safe” of a choice, the experts at Pantone Color Institute have spoken. Let’s discuss the reasoning behind their choice, blue’s role in marketing, and other businesses that have hopped on the bandwagon with campaigns focused on color.
Why Classic Blue?
The reveal of this familiar blue marks a bold switch from 2019’s vibrant Living Coral and brighter shades from previous years. Why are the forecasters playing it safe this year with such a classic shade?
According to Shutterstock, Pantone’s Classic Blue highlights a much-needed sense of tranquility and stability for the decade ahead. The Pantone Color Institute recognized feelings of instability and uncertainty gripping the world today, which drove them to choose a shade that offers reassurance and confidence. Laurie Pressman, the vice president of the Pantone Color Institute, adds that Classic Blue “anticipates what's going to happen next.”
Ironically enough, Pantone’s very first Color of the Year was Cerulean, which was lauded as the color of “the new millennium” in 1999. Declaring a similar shade at the onset of a new decade may be Pantone’s attempt to provide a welcome refuge for our uncertain, often disconnected era.
Marketing Appeal
Ever notice that most apps, companies, and brands use blue in their logo? This isn’t just a fad or temporary trend. Blue had long been a staple in the marketing world, known for its neutrality, worldly appeal, and association with positive emotions. It’s also the go-to color for many trusted, corporate institutions — here are some examples:
IT Companies: Intel, Microsoft, IBM, HP, Dell
Finance Companies: American Express, Visa, Goldman Sachs, Paypal, Chase
Social Networks: Facebook, Twitter, Skype, LinkedIn
The reason that blue is one of the most-used colors in branding has to do a lot with science and psychology. According to color psychology, shades of blue elicit emotions of responsibility, authority, and trust — three ideals many businesses aim to embrace.
Other Companies Follow Suit
Through its annual unveiling of the Color of the Year, Pantone has set an example for other brands and marketers: tapping into colors and their associated emotions as a means to engage consumers.
Similarly to Pantone, stock photography company Shutterstock announces color trends annually. By sorting through customer downloads, analyzing pixel data, and mapping pixels to their closest named hex codes, it deduces which colors experienced the greatest growth from the previous year. For 2020, three colors made the cut: Lush Lava, a fiery orange-red; Aqua Menthe, a mix of cyan and mint; and Phantom Blue, a deep saturated indigo-navy.
In addition, nearly a dozen paint companies now unveil a Color of the Year. Benjamin Moore & Co. chose First Light, a warm, rosy pink that represents the optimism of a new era. Meanwhile, Behr, Home Depot’s paint brand, declared Back to Nature as their COTY, a light, mentholated green signifying the importance of living sustainably. Finally, Sherwin-Williams selected Naval, a dark navy hue inspired by themes of wellness and nature. Despite these differing conclusions, each brand has its reasoning and predictions for how these colors will inspire the next decade.
Perhaps the most interesting color initiative we’ve seen is from Xerox, a company best known for its photocopy hardware. In an effort to reenergize its position around creativity, Xerox rolled out a #Clear2020 campaign. Through a video spot, dedicated landing page, and social media efforts, the company aimed to encourage debate about whether clear is a color.
Conclusion
Is the Millennial Pink trend over? Will shades of blue continue to dominate in the new decade? Is “clear” even a color?
Whatever the answers to these questions may be, there’s no doubt that color drives consumerism. Pantone’s annual announcement of a Color of the Year has fueled many companies to follow suit. Color is a powerful tool, especially when it’s intertwined with elaborate marketing campaigns.