Every year, the Pantone Color Institute announces a colour that will best reflect the year ahead. By doing so, they standardize the swatches for multiple design industries, including packaging!
However, this year, they’ve announced not one, but two colours!
So how did they decide on these colours and what does this mean for your packaging?
Let’s find out…
About Pantone
Before we get started, let’s take a look at Pantone and its services.
An iconic name in the fashion, product, graphic design, and lifestyle-oriented industries, Pantone provides a universal language of colour through an organized numbered and chip format.
In turn, it enables designers and manufacturers to consistently reproduce accurate palettes from anywhere in the world!
In addition, it offers a consulting service under its Color Institute. The Color Insitute forecasts global trends and advises companies on colour in relation to brand identity and product development.
Globally, the Color Institute is the leading source of information for seasonal trend forecasts, custom colour development and palette recommendations. As part of its decision-making process, it leverages colour theory with psychology and emotions.
2021 Colours
The two colours that best reflect this upcoming year are PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray and PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating, a vibrant yellow.
To come to this decision, it required thoughtful consideration and trend analysis as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to dominate global events.
Nonetheless, by announcing this year’s colours, the Executive Director of of the Color Institute sends the following message:
The union of an enduring Ultimate Gray with the vibrant yellow Illuminating expresses a message of positivity supported by fortitude. Practical and rock-solid, but at the same time, warming and optimistic, this is a colour combination that gives us resilience and hope.
Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of The Pantone Color Institute.
According to Pantone’s press statement, Illuminating represents optimism and vivacity. This is because psychologically, many people associate yellow with joy and happiness due to its correlation with the sun.
On the other hand, Ultimate Gray encourages “feelings of composure, steadiness, and resilience.”
Psychologically, grey is generally linked with negative moods such as sadness, fear, and disappointment. However, symbolically, Ultimate Gray represents solid and dependable elements that are everlasting and provide a firm foundation.
Try to think of the colours of pebbles on the beach and natural elements whose weathered appearance highlight their ability to stand the test of time! Given the current state of the world filled with uncertainty and anxiety, the selected grey has therapeutic implications of hopefulness.
Overall, the combination of both Ultimate Gray and Illuminating is very innovative and thoughtful as it highlights how different elements can come together – the strength and solidarity that we all need!
Impact on Packaging
Similar to previous years, you can expect Illuminating and Ultimate Gray to make an appearance in the packaging world!
How you may ask? For one, Illuminating is a warm colour, whereas, Ultimate Gray is on the cooler side.
When combining the two, you can guarantee it’ll make a dramatic statement, especially when it comes to the packaging of beauty products, subscription boxes, lifestyle products, food and beverages!
Moreover, you can also incorporate 2021 packaging trends such as geometric shapes, illustrative patterns, colour blocking and more! Without a doubt, this year’s colours and design trends are bound to highlight more artistic elements of packaging.
Interested in how you can incorporate these colours into your packaging? Contact us today!
Our company will help you from conception to completion and you will have access to the full knowledge of our product specialists, logistics experts, and graphic designers.
Not sure if these colours are right for you? Interested in a lighter hue, or maybe something darker? With LeKAC’s help and Pantone’s easy-to-use colour finder, you’re sure to create packaging that’s perfect for you!
