Pantone Picks Ultra Violet as 2018 Color of the Year

December 8, 2017  by Larry Thomas in Business Strategy, Designer Weekly, Industry   

Pantone described Ultra Violet 18-3838 as a “dramatically provocative and thoughtful purple shade” that “communicates originality, ingenuity, and visionary thinking that points toward the future.”

The firm said the color is seen in graphic design and packaging, food, fashion, beauty products and home décor.

“We are living in a time that requires inventiveness and imagination. It is this kind of creative inspiration that is indigenous to Pantone 18-3838 Ultra Violet, a blue-based purple that takes our awareness and potential to a higher level,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. “From exploring new technologies and the greater galaxy, to artistic expression and spiritual reflection, intuitive Ultra Violet lights the way to what is yet to come.”

To arrive at the Color of the Year selection, color experts at the Pantone Color Institute comb the world looking for new color influences. This can include the entertainment industry and films in production, traveling art collections and new artists, fashion, all areas of design, popular travel destinations, as well as new lifestyles, playstyles, and socio-economic conditions.

Influences may also stem from new technologies, materials, textures, and effects that impact color, relevant social media platforms and even up-coming sporting events that capture worldwide attention, Pantone said.

“The Pantone Color of the Year has come to mean so much more than ‘what’s trending’ in the world of design; it’s truly a reflection of what’s needed in our world today,” said Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute.

“As individuals around the world become more fascinated with color and realize its ability to convey deep messages and meanings, designers and brands should feel empowered to use color to inspire and influence. The Color of the Year is one moment in time that provides strategic direction for the world of trend and design, reflecting the Pantone Color Institute’s year-round work doing the same for designers and brands,” she added.

Pantone has been choosing a Color of the Year since 2000. Past selections have included Greenery in 2017; Serenity and Rose Quartz in 2016; Marsala in 2015; and Radiant Orchid in 2014.