Rooted in Strength, Vitality and Nature, Pantone's Viva Magenta Paves the Way for Uninhibited Self-Expression

As we continue to maneuver through a post-COVID world with new perspectives, many are balancing a future that embraces all things digital while rekindling relationships with the great outdoors. Helping to bridge the cyber age with this return to nature is PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta, an immersive hue that has been crowned the 2023 Color of the Year by the Pantone Color Institute.

A member of the red family, Viva Magenta is a strong, animated crimson red with organic origins. In fact, its color was inspired by the cochineal beetle, an insect that produces carmine dye, one of the strongest and brightest natural dyes on Earth. Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute, notes, "Rooted in the primordial, PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta reconnects us to original matter. Invoking the forces of nature, PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta galvanizes our spirit, helping us to build our inner strength."

Mirroring our intrinsic affinity to nature—along with modern-day concern over the environment and its conservation—Viva Magenta unearths the deeply-rooted connections between natural and digital matters to create a new ecosystem to explore, the "Magentaverse."

Now in its 23rd year, the selection of the Color of the Year typically embodies the cultural zeitgeist of the moment, and this year is no exception. Described by Pantone as an "unconventional shade for an unconventional time," Viva Magenta's stimulating color will usher in the new year with an optimistic narrative. Its hybrid character, which balances both warm and cool tones, is energetic, fearless, and exuberant; it exudes a strength that sparks creative spirits and encourages self-expression and experimentation without restraint.

Pantone also makes clear distinctions between Viva Magenta and PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri (a futuristic shade of periwinkle and last year's Color of the Year). While the latter boasts a similar origin story to 2023's red protagonist, Viva Magenta is unique in that it answers a ubiquitous need for strength and solidarity during transformative times.

In their official press release, Pantone notes, "Viva Magenta offers us the assurance and motivation we need to weather long-term disruptive events. Three years deep into a pandemic, facing a war, an unstable economy, social unrest, supply chain breakdowns, and mounting climate change, we need to heal. And still, we need to find the motivation to continue. Here, Viva Magenta cloaks us in both power and grace, and sends us out into the world with the verve we've yearned for."

For more information on Viva Magenta, please click here.