Pantone'S Colour Of The Year Will Give You Warm Fuzzy Feelings

At a time of turmoil in many aspects of our lives, Pantone has selected a colour of the year that evokes inner peace and security.

“A cozy peach hue softly nestled between pink and orange, Pantone 13-1023 Peach Fuzz brings belonging, inspires recalibration, and an opportunity for nurturing, conjuring up an air of calm,” said Pantone's executive director Leatrice Eiseman, in a release.

The shade is described as a velvety gentle tone whose all-embracing spirit enriches mind, body, and soul. The colour is reminiscent of book clubs, sunset yoga, art classes and wellness focused walks.

Each year since 1999, a team of global colour experts examines contemporary culture to identify a shade that best encapsulates the approaching calendar year. Using a combination of thoughtful consideration and trend analysis, they connect all that is taking place in the world and translate it into a language of colour. Then they focus their collective expertise even further to identify the specific shade.

The colour institute takes this process very seriously, relying on alternative solutions in past years, when the exact shade hasn’t been available. Pantone’s colour of the year in 2016 and 2021 were combinations of two colours. And in 2022, for the first time in the history of the program, Pantone created a new colour (Pantone 17-3938 Very Peri) because no other shade conveyed the right message.

While the selection serves as an expression of consumers’ mood and attitude, the colour of the year package equips companies with an understanding of how to incorporate the colour into branding and design–whether it’s used to increase consumer engagement or better showcase a brand identity. For consumers, it makes them conscious of the impression they can make through colour and influences their purchase habits.

Pantone Peach Fuzz inspires a space for consumers to heal and flourish, says the institute. It expresses kindness and tenderness, but is at the same time, quietly sophisticated and contemporary. Pantone says the colour also reflects a recalibration of our priorities to align with our internal values—a sentiment shared by brands seeking to make an authentic connection with their consumer in a difficult political climate.

As for how to employ Peach Fuzz in design, Pantone has recommendations– when it comes to products and packaging, the institute suggests either a clean finish, or a coupling with texture to deliver a tactile effect. “Its warm tactility makes it an enticing shade for a variety of products, from food and beverage to cosmetics and accessories. Inspiring thoughts of sweet and delicate tastes and scents.”

Through an interior decor lens, Pantone says peach fuzz creates a welcoming ambience, which can cover an entire wall, or as a small accent within a pattern. Whereas in hair and beauty, the colour adds an ethereal, reflective finish and creates a natural rosy glow flattering complexions across a large variety of undertones and making all who wear it appear more healthy.