Pantone selects two Colors of the Year for 2021

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Dec 10, 2020

Pantone has named its new Color of the Year and has actually selected two with Pantone 17-5104 Ultimate Gray and 13-0647 Illuminating being “a marriage of colour, conveying a message of strength and hopefulness that is both enduring and uplifting”.

The colour specialist said the two independent shades “highlight how different elements come together to support one another, [to] best express the mood for 2021”.

Illuminating is a bright and cheerful yellow “sparkling with vivacity, a warming yellow shade imbued with solar power”. And Ultimate Gray is “emblematic of solid and dependable elements. which are everlasting and provide a firm foundation. The colours of pebbles on the beach and natural elements whose weathered appearance highlights an ability to stand the test of time, Ultimate Gray quietly assures, encouraging feelings of composure, steadiness and resilience”.

The combination is meant to be “practical and rock solid but at the same time warming and optimistic”, with a feeling of “strength and positivity. It is a story of colour that encapsulates deeper feelings of thoughtfulness with the promise of something sunny and friendly”.

Clearly, this has all been influenced by the extraordinary events of this year globally and how “we need to feel that everything is going to get brighter”.

Pantone said people are seeking ways "to fortify themselves with energy, clarity, and hope to overcome the continuing uncertainty”, which means that “spirited and emboldening shades satisfy our quest for vitality”.