The Pantone Color Institute has declared Living Coral 16-1546 — a coral hue with a golden undertone — as its Color of the Year for 2019. For two decades, Pantone’s Color of the Year choice has influenced the direction of product development and purchasing decisions in multiple industries, including fashion and home furnishings, as well as product, graphic and package design.
The 2019 color is said to represent a reaction to the onslaught of digital technology and social media in daily life, as people increasingly seek authentic and immersive experiences that enable connection and intimacy. “With consumers craving human interaction and social connection, the humanizing and heartening qualities displayed by the convivial Living Coral hit a responsive chord,” said Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of The Pantone Color Institute. The color, she explains, was selected because it embodies playfulness, energy and a yearning to reconnect with nature. Adds Pantone Color Institute Vice President Laurie Pressman, “Top of mind was the arresting beauty we see in nature and the importance of preserving the environment.”
The Color of the Year selection process involves combing the world for new color influences, with a deep dive into entertainment, fashion, design, travel destinations, new technologies and social media.
Recent past colors to have won the designation include Ultra Violet (2018), Greenery (2017), the combination of Rose Quartz and Serenity (2016), and Marsala (2015). Says Pressman of the selection: “It’s a color snapshot symbolic of what’s taking place in the culture at a moment in time.”
