The wait is officially over. The Pantone Color Institute has announced the singular color that will launch us full force into the new year. Among an era wrought with change—let’s not forget the election of the 2021 Colors of the Year, Illuminating and Ultimate Gray—Pantone is surprising us once again with the decision to create a custom color for 2022: welcome, PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri.
For the first time in Color of the Year history, instead of selecting an existing option from their expansive library of hues, the world's leading authority in color has developed a custom shade to suit the transformative times of our "new normal."
Just as playful as it's name, Very Peri is a warm, futuristic shade of periwinkle that moves us between the physical and the digital. In a press release about the launch, Pantone explains, "As we emerge from an intense period of isolation, our notions and standards are changing, and our physical and digital lives have merged in new ways. With trends in gaming, the expanding popularity of the metaverse and rising artistic community in the digital space PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri illustrates the fusion of modern life and how color trends in the digital world are being manifested in the physical world and vice versa."
Evocative of a new modernity, this enthusiastic blue hue hints to innovation; it moves us forward by stimulating a feeling to experiment and venture into the unknown.
Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute, notes, "The selection of PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri brings a novel perspective and vision of the trusted and beloved blue color family, encompassing the qualities of the blues, yet at the same time with its violet red undertone, PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri displays a spritely, joyous attitude and dynamic presence that encourages courageous creativity and imaginative expressions."
We can already see the effects of Very Peri shaping our current landscape, both in nature and the cyber universe. An expressive and versatile shade, it has applications in various aspects of everyday life and design—from graphics and home interiors to apparel and flowers.
Beyond its ability to inspire global trends, we can look to the Color of the Year from an emotional level. Sparking the creative spirit, Very Peri will bring us one step closer towards a hopeful future.
