Pantone Colors of the Year for 2021

It is the second time that the Pantone Color Institute has announced two colors of the year: One is PANTONE® 17-5104 Ultimate Gray, a color bringing to mind the famous 50 shades of Gray. The other one is PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating, a bright yellow that sends a “get ready” signal of traffic signal’s yellow light.

The institute decided to group TWO different colors name two unrelated to each other like the colors of the year 2021, which is a response to the unprecedented year that led up to this moment. The PANTONE institute mentioned it as “a marriage of color conveying a message of strength and hopefulness that is both enduring and uplifting,” Ultimate Gray and Illuminating sunny yellow each serve a specific purpose. “Each of them has their own emotional aspect, the gray being the one that’s more supportive and solid, the practical foundation that we need, and the yellow is about hopefulness and sunshine and good cheer,” stated Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the institute.

The combination has a rationale behind rooted in and influenced by the pandemic and events like the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020. The whole world was getting familiar with the newly adopted terminology the social distancing”. The call for racial justice, however, compelled masses to connect, gather, and organize to respond to the call by ignoring the newly learned lesson from the pandemic. Laurie Pressman, vice president of the institute, stated that this essential need for relationships is reflected in Pantone’s decision to select two colors this year, which has only been done once before (in 2016, when the institute selected Rose Quartz and Serenity as a nod to the increasing fluidity around gender norms).

“Something that’s been apparent across the board is how much we need each other, that these connections with others have given us strength and fortitude, as well as the hope and the positive outlook that are essential to our moving forward,” she said. “By choosing two independent colors, that helped us subliminally convey that message.”

The researchers at the institute consume the whole year traveling to research color trends around the world before making their choice. The situation this year was a bit different because of the COVID-19 crisis. Traveling was restricted. The online connectivity helped the researchers in collecting data about global trends.

The theme behind selecting the color of the year, however, remains the same as usual;-, representing the culture of the moment we live in. In retrospect, last year’s color, Classic Blue—soothing deep indigo that sought to face and counter anxieties about the new decade. The of the year 2021 together give a feeling of preparing to accept the possibilities that the new year supposed to bring in for us. These can be the effectiveness of vaccines, the sense of normalcy, and the chance to connect and embrace again. Pressman said. “Whether it’s about the pandemic or the uprisings around the world, we’re trying to imagine the future as we move into this very different time.”

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