We talk about it every year and eagerly wait with anticipation for the announcement: The Color of the Year. The Pantone Color Institute, the leading expert on all things colorful, chooses a single hue every year that it believes will be prevalent in fashion, culture, marketing and more. For 2016, we got two colors: Rose Quartz and Serenity. In 2017, Pantone selected Greenery, a lush shade reminiscent of growth and natural beauty.
Pantone Color of 2018 is Ultra Violet
Color authority, Pantone, has announced its selection for the 2018 Color of the Year: Ultra Violet. This blue-based purple shade is sure to get everyone talking—especially design enthusiasts. Pantone says the color “communicates originality, ingenuity and visionary thinking.”
Last year’s Greenery was selected to encourage us to reconnect with nature. This year, it is time to take our business potential to a whole new level with Ultra Violet. The hue, technically not a color but a spectrum of light waves undetected by the human eye, was intentionally selected to encourage inventiveness and imagination.
A Hint of Mysticism
Blue-based purples, like Ultra Violet, have positive messages and meanings such as spiritual, meditative, and soul-searching. This color has a history of being used to express a mystical, heavenly or cosmos feel and it is said to elevate the level of thought processes, partially from leaning more to the cooler temperature of blues. Since purple is created by mixing fiery red (a warm hue) and soothing blue (a cooler tone), the color has a creative element as well as mysterious.
Using Ultra Violet in Marketing
We can expect to see the shade pop up in everything from branding and design to nail polish and lipstick. Brands who choose Ultra Violet as a lead color in their designs will be paving a new path, as it’s unusual and can trigger odd associations for some audiences. For many years, representing a brand with any kind of purple got turned down immediately as being “too religious” or “feminine.” Even if your brand doesn’t use any shade of purple in your branding, you can still use the hue as inspiration in the following ways for your business:
- Start a creative project
- Reach out to a business that is different than yours
- Explore new technology
- Start a mindfulness practice
Selecting Ultra Violet as the color of the year, Pantone is inviting us to explore new possibilities.
Are you ready to accept the invitation? MJ2 Marketing is able to help you design a color palette that conveys the values of your business. Contact us today.
