It’s really cool that when we choose what to wear, we’re telling the world, “today I want to be a bunny” or “maybe I’ll jump out of a plane on a horse again,” thus creating an emotional (and not the worst) atmosphere around us.

Advertising communication is no exception: the language of color is one of the main tools for dialogue with the audience. But why do certain shades become fashionable and earn the title of “color of the year,” besides the explanation “well, one has to be chosen”? And why do certain words emerge in our color lexicon, occasionally becoming memes? In his column, Vadym Vysotyuk, the art director of the communications agency provid, answers these questions.

There’s a certain societal creative consensus, like: red – no, green – yes, but that’s from the rules of the golden fund of the seven colors of the rainbow. But the millions of shades and billions of combinations are something different and variable. Hence the tradition of getting acquainted with new color palette trends annually emerged, just so we wouldn’t get lost in the millions.

The announcement of the color of the year by the PANTONE® Color Institute is already a separate event awaited by all. Like any language, the language of color also evolves, and it’s interesting to observe this through such an annual selection. It has been happening for quite some time now, so no spoilers here: Very Peri 17-3938, better known to us as “periwinkle,” has been declared the color of the year, and thus it will be favored by most companies in 2022.

Laurie Pressman, vice president of the PANTONE® Color Institute, commented on the color the organization named the main one in 2022: “The depth of this new blue color with a red-purple undertone underscores the enormous possibilities opening up to us.” Who am I to argue, but I remember – back when I was still studying at university, a color theory lecturer told us that such shades were used to paint “soft” rooms in psychiatric hospitals, so that residents would feel calmer.

However, there could be an explanation for such a difference in perception. We’ve had so many various events in recent years that any color definitions aren’t necessary. The new color of the year calls us to calmness and tranquility. Against the backdrop of such carefreeness, it’s easier to make thoughtful decisions and plan not only for tomorrow but also for a long and happy future, as they write in books.

But it’s not just PANTONE®. For example, the guys from Shutterstock also presented their view on the trends for 2022. They processed millions of bits of information using artificial intelligence and obtained statistics on image downloads and clickability. Moreover, they monitored the behavior of individual pixels and looked at the colors they most often burned with.

“But wait,” we thought at provid (and I’m sure not only us). “This statistics reflects the past, even if not the distant past. Why do experts attribute this palette to the future?” In my opinion, all our future preferences are formed based on experience in the past. We accumulate impressions, associations, and shape our lives from what we know, have seen, and understood. Either way, both PANTONE® and Shutterstock lead us to the common conclusion – subdued “alert” shades are trending.

This doesn’t mean the world has to be painted in one color; a whole palette of others is presented alongside it. But what unites them all is reduced saturation.

When editing photos on our smartphones, we also apply filters with reduced contrast and soft color toning. And to make sure that reduced color saturation is already a trend, check out the color correction of your favorite travel bloggers’ videos.

Another advantage of such a palette is that it allows us to combine more colors and shades. When creating visualizations, for example, we get more air and volume. It’s like looking at objects through the thickness of the atmosphere. By using these tones in interior design, we get a space that is more similar to natural, rather than artificially created. Skillfully, but still artificial. And when lighting comes into play, you can even control the weather. All this is another confirmation that nature is the best designer! Of course, besides all the other cool designers you can read about on this resource.

So let everything be Veri Peri for us next year. Or as we paint it ourselves.