Hello, Very Peri! PANTONE 2022 Color of the Year!

Actually, before I officially introduce you to design’s newest celebrity, let’s talk about everyone’s favorite subject… psychology! To be more specific, the psychology of color and how it really does make a difference — beyond just the aesthetic nature of whether you like a color or not — in marketing.

It’s no secret that colors and emotions are closely linked. Warm colors can evoke different emotions than cool colors, and bright colors can create different feelings as well. The way colors can affect emotions depend largely on a color’s brightness, shade, tint, etc. and these reactions are rooted in psychology, biology and cultural conditioning.

Color Theory 101

Warm colors
Red, orange and yellow may evoke feelings of optimism and energy. These colors also have an attention-grabbing effect or make you want to take action. Studies also show that red can increase a person’s appetite.

Cool colors
Cool colors include green, blue and purple and are usually calming and soothing. As we’ll talk about later, purple is often used to help spark creativity because it’s a mixture of blue (calm) and red (intense).

Calming colors
Cool colors and neutrals can also have a calming effect — especially pastels like baby blue, lilac and mint. Additionally, the fewer colors you combine and the more simple and pared back a design is, the more calming it will feel.

Energizing colors
Strong, bright colors can have a powerful effect on emotions. Colors like bright red, bright yellow and neons are energizing and make you feel more alert, refreshed and energized.

FYI: Kinetic Marketing & Creative is a full-service marketing agency that is trusted by brands around the nation. Contact us if you are ready to move your brand forward with a team of experts in branding to digital marketing. Check out a sample of our award-winning client work.

PANTONE Color of the Year

So now that you know there is science (of sorts) behind it all — let’s talk PANTONE!

Even if you’re not a graphic designer or in the design world, you’ve probably heard of it. PANTONE is an iconic company for sure, and the technical aspects of what they do and provide is too complex to go into actual detail here, so I’m going high level. In their words, “PANTONE provides a universal language of color that enables color-critical decisions through every stage of the workflow for brands and manufacturers.” This color language supports all color-conscious industries, from clothing to architectural and industrial design to graphic design (digital and print).

And every year a bunch of color experts get together at the PANTONE Color Institute and study all kinds of things across the world – new artists, fashion, the entertainment industry, new brands, logos, product packaging and even social and cultural movements.

Finally, there’s a proverbial drumroll and ta-dah! The PANTONE Color of Year is announced! It’s kind of the equivalent of when Oprah used to announce books on her book club list or the popularity of movies that get Oscar nods — when this color is announced, it’s a one-way to ticket to color stardom!

And this year, it’s Very Peri!

Executive Director of the PANTONE Color Institute, Leatrice Eiseman, explains “As we move into a world of unprecedented change, the selection of Pantone 17-3938, Very Peri, brings a novel perspective and vision of the trusted and beloved blue color family, encompassing the qualities of the blues, yet at the same with its violet red undertone, it displays a spritely, joyous attitude and dynamic presence that encourages courageous creativity and imaginative expressions.”

As a writer, I think that description is lovely writing and perhaps a bit imaginative in and of itself — but as a writer deep in the design world, I also understand that there really is something to it.

So back to Color Theory!

Purple makes you feel creative.
Purple is associated with mystery, creativity, royalty and wealth. Lighter shades of purple are often used to soothe or calm a viewer. We often incorporate purples to make a design look more luxurious or a brand feel more sophisticated.

Blue evokes feelings of calmness and spirituality as well as security and trust.
Seeing the color blue causes the body to create chemicals that are calming. It is no surprise that it’s the most favored of the colors — especially by men, apparently. Dark blues are great for corporate designs because it helps give a professional feel. Light blues give a more relaxing, friendly feel. Great examples are social sites like Facebook and Twitter that use lighter blues.

The bottom line

It is important to note that colors can be subjective — what might make one person feel cheerful can make another person feel depressed or irritated depending on the viewers’ past experiences or cultural differences. Additionally, color is not completely agreed on universally and can appeal differently to individual countries. For instance, we all know a bride wears white, right? Unless you are Moroccan and will likely wear bright yellow on your big day. Or Spanish? Black with a lovely lace mantilla.

But colors and emotions really are closely linked, and no matter what we’re designing, for any client in any industry, we think about it. We think about an audience and how colors will be implemented so we can communicate the right things the right ways to get the results our clients are looking for.

Interested in learning more or even having one of our design professionals offer some recommendations for your brand, logo or website? Connect with us today!