Pantone introduces new colour for 2022: Very Peri
Global colour authority Pantone has created a brand new shade, Pantone 17-3938 Very Peri. It’s a vibrant periwinkle blue with violet red undertones for the 2022 Colour of the Year.
The colour is the happiest and warmest of all the blue hues, blending the faithfulness and constancy of blue with the energy and excitement of red to deliver an empowering mix of newness with a carefree confidence and a daring curiosity that animates our creative spirit.
“It’s unusual to refer to blue as ‘happy,’ but when you add that red element to it, that’s exactly what happened. We felt it was so important to put together a colour that encapsulated the feeling of newness,” said Pantone Colour Institute Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman as reported by Time.
Choosing a shade of blue also recalls the blue glow of digital devices like computers and smartphones at a time when human existence is increasingly shifting to the digital realm with the rise of technological advances, such as NFTs, virtual reality and the emerging Metaverse.
Very Peri symbolises the changes the world is experiencing as it moves beyond the isolation and uncertainty of the pandemic. After the lockdowns of 2020, Pantone chose two colours, Ultimate Gray and the sunny yellow Illuminating. They represent quiet reassurance and resilience in the face of difficult circumstances as well as optimism for the future.
Pantone has been naming a Colour of the Year since 2000 to reflect what is taking place in the global culture and expressing what people are looking for. It has influenced product development and purchasing decisions in multiple industries, including fashion, home furnishings, industrial design, as well as product packaging and graphic design.
The Pantone Colour of the Year selection process requires thoughtful consideration and trend analysis by Pantone’s colour experts at Pantone Colour Institute. Every year, they’re looking for new colour influences from the entertainment industry to fashion, travel destinations and socio-economic conditions. Influences can also come from new technologies, materials, textures, social media platforms and even upcoming sporting events that capture worldwide attention.
After developing the colours, Pantones makes most of its profit by selling the shades and corresponding formulas to fabric mills, printers and designers in a range of disciplines.
Pantone’s primary product is the Pantone Matching System, a standardised colour reproduction system with over 2,000 unique shades, each identified by a number. It serves as a guide that allows brands, manufacturers and graphic designers to ensure that their chosen colours are reproduced precisely across different products and media, both physically and digitally.