For 2021, he had made an unprecedented choice, the result of the need to indicate a creative way to relaunch and rebirth. In other words, it had declared that the colours of the year would be two. The pandemic, however, has put the brakes on all hope, and so Pantone has raised the stakes for 2022 and done what it has never done before. It has created a new colour for the year that has just begun. It is called Very Peri
Pantone broke with the 2021 custom and, instead of one, indicated two reference colours. Last year was supposed to be one of revival and post-pandemic rebirth. In part, it was, in (many) parts it was not. So he chose a grey (Pantone code 17-5104) and a yellow (Pantone code 13-0647). He called them Ultimate Gray and Illuminating, respectively. Given that Covid has once again called everything into question, including the meaning of that unprecedented choice, Pantone found itself in need of raising the bar, in the hope (this time) of hitting the target. For 2022 it has done what it has never done before: it has created a new colour.
A new colour for 2022
Periwinkle blue for familiarity and comfort. Purple-red to convey freshness, vitality and a digitised future. This combination has resulted in Very Peri, code 17-3938. For 2022, the US company is indicating a new colour and not choosing from existing ones. A dynamic periwinkle blue shade with an invigorating purplish-red undertone,” says Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute, “it blends the fidelity and consistency of blue with the energy and excitement of red.
Why Pantone does it every year
Since the year 2000, every December Pantone has chosen the symbol colour for the coming year. The selection does not happen by chance but is well thought out. The chosen colour reflects the moment we are living in, especially in fashion and society in general, and tries to meet what people need. It follows that the choice of colour affects the whole sphere of creativity, from fashion to marketing, from designer to architecture. “Society continues to recognise colour as a fundamental form of communication and expression and the complexity of this new shade of blue, infused with red and purple, highlights the possibilities that lie ahead.
The creative process that led to Very Peri
Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, cuts to the chase and explains how Very Peri came about. “You have to interpret the spirit of the times and turn it into colour. The blue family was the starting point because it is a colour that corresponds to familiarity and comfort. Blue includes the safety factor. But we also needed to convey a sense of freshness, vitality, a drive towards the future, which also refers to the digital world, and this is where the violet-red undertone came in.
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