Pantone names brand new tone Very Peri as colour of year for 2022

Pantone, the global colour authority, has introduced Pantone 17-3938 Very Peri, a dynamic periwinkle blue hue with a lively violet red undertone as its star colour of the year for 2022. This time, it has created a brand new colour rather than selecting an existing shade from its extensive palette. Blending the faithfulness and constancy of blue with the energy and excitement of red, the hue is said to introduce an empowering mix of newness.

“Displaying a carefree confidence and a daring curiosity that animates our creative spirit, inquisitive and intriguing Pantone 17-3938 Very Peri helps us to embrace this altered landscape of possibilities, opening us up to a new vision as we rewrite our lives. Rekindling gratitude for some of the qualities that blue represents complemented by a new perspective that resonates today, Pantone 17-3938 Very Peri places the future ahead in a new light,” Pantone said.

Very Peri is said to be a symbol of the global zeitgeist and the transition the world is going through. With trends in gaming, the expanding popularity of the metaverse and rising artistic community in the digital space, it illustrates the fusion of modern life and how colour trends in the digital world are being manifested in the physical world and vice versa.

“As we move into a world of unprecedented change, the selection brings a novel perspective and vision of the trusted and beloved blue colour family,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director, Pantone Color Institute. “Encompassing the qualities of the blues, yet at the same time possessing a violet-red undertone, [it] displays a spritely, joyous attitude and dynamic presence that encourages courageous creativity and imaginative expression.”

“Creating a new colour for the first time in the history of our Pantone Color of the Year educational colour programme reflects the global innovation and transformation taking place. As society continues to recognize colour as a critical form of communication and as a way to express and affect ideas and emotions and engage and connect, the complexity of this new red-violet-infused blue hue highlights the expansive possibilities that lie before us,” said Laurie Pressman, VP of the Pantone Color Institute.

The company also said the tone is "an enthusiastic blue hue whose whimsicality lends itself to unpredictable colour harmonies and spontaneous colour statements. Futuristic in feeling, Very Peri takes on distinct appearances through application to different materials, finishes and textures, from shimmery metallics, lustrous sheens and high-tech materials to handcrafted looks and natural fibres".