It’s that time of the year when we all remember that Pantone designates an annual colour and try to say something interesting about it. Pantone has been doing this annually for a quarter of a century, gathering the world’s colour experts to decide on a single shade that we should all be obsessed with for the next 12 calendar months. But does the COTY actually influence purchasing decisions? Do designers care about it? And should they?
It’s that time of the year when we all remember that Pantone designates an annual colour and try to say something interesting about it. Pantone has been doing this annually for a quarter of a century, gathering the world’s colour experts to decide on a single shade that we should all be obsessed with for the next 12 calendar months. But does the COTY actually influence purchasing decisions? Do designers care about it? And should they?
Pantone’s connection with colour trends
Pantone Color of the Year kicked off in 2000 with Cerulean, a clean, powdery blue that emanates calmness. They followed this up in 2001 with the strikingly opposing Fuschia Rose, a hot pink affair suitable for a Barbie Dream House. Each year has seen a new Color of the Year crowned, apart from 2016 and 2021, when Pantone chose a pairing of shades.
Colours can instantly evoke certain periods of time, and colour trends have been a thing since long before the COTY; combine brown and orange and you’ve instantly got the start of a ’70s vibe. While Pantone strives to set trends, they also take inspiration from the current culture and climate, making a selection that is inspirational without totally overthrowing the present aesthetic.
If you take a look at all of the Colors of the Year together, you can see that there are certain trends within the trends. Blue, turquoise, pink, purple and orange seem to cover most of the offerings, with a few beige, grey, yellow and brown shades making an appearance. So while Pantone is taking the reins, they’re still sticking within the realms of what the current decade seems to have agreed upon, making their choice more versatile and appropriate to the era.
Pantone Color of the Year 2024
This year’s colour is Peach Fuzz, which Pantone describes as being a velvety, warm and cozy hue that brings “a feeling of kindness and tenderness, communicating a message of caring and sharing, community and collaboration.” As with all COTY offerings, this is a tall order for a single colour, but it’s easy to see where they’re coming from.
Peach Fuzz is a soft, gentle colour with a classically feminine feel, making it easy for a wide variety of industries to apply to their brands.
Should you embrace Peach Fuzz?
Whether you should be plumbing the depths of your supply chain for peachy fabrics and materials depends on three main factors: your industry, your audience, and your products.
In their guide to Peach Fuzz, Pantone shares application ideas for apparel and accessories, interior design and home décor, hair and beauty, and packaging and multimedia design, showing an inclination towards predominantly female-focused industries. If your business falls within one of these categories, adding a little Peach Fuzz to the mix could prove to be fruitful.
Unfortunately, not all industries are destined to join in with the latest trends, and adopting Peach Fuzz (or any other COTY) might be a misstep. For example, high-ticket items and one-off purchases might feel dated in a couple of years in the year’s hottest hue, which could put people off buying them. Brands with a predominantly masculine customer base might also want to avoid Peach Fuzz, and it’s never
The Color of the Year is ideal for industries that already have key trends as part of their natural ebb and flow. Fashion and interior design are two areas where colours, shapes, styles and materials are in a continual state of flux, so changing up your products to reflect what’s hot right now makes total sense.
is another area that is influenced by the whims of current trends, and a nod to the COTY can help to refresh , packaging and even . However, unless you’re currently looking to refresh your existing brand, and the timing and colour feel right for your market, it’s wise to avoid rebranding just to jump on the latest colour trend. Only ever embrace colour as part of your brand identity if it makes sense.
Genius or gimmick?
There’s no denying that the COTY has become a marketing gimmick in itself, with Pantone selling mugs, keychains and notebooks in each year’s special shade. You can also buy limited edition versions on Pantone’s famous colour guides with no difference other than the front cover being the year’s chosen colour.
That said, it’s a fascinating concept, and a useful touchpoint for designers in all industries looking to make their mark or blend in seamlessly with the current colour landscape. And if you’re birthing a new brand or product and have absolutely no idea where to start, you could definitely make worse decisions than using the Pantone Color of the Year as your inspiration.
Looking for expert advice on all things design?
Whether you’re excited about embracing Peach Fuzz or you’d like to take your brand in a completely different direction, speak to DWH. With over 20 years of experience in creating, refreshing and perfecting brands, we know exactly how to apply 2024’s COTY to your visual identity to get the best results for your business. Of course, this also means that we know if this isn’t the right route for you, and we’ll advise you on a more suitable shade to build your brand.
Claire Baldwin
Claire has over 10 years' copywriting experience across a range of print and digital media, working with a variety of styles, formats and tones of voice. She has written as part of an in-house team client side, as well as at marketing agencies based in the East Midlands. Claire's services include copywriting, copy editing, content creation and proofreading.