TRENDS: Pantone’s “2018 Color of the Year” –  and What It Means for Toys

December 7, 2017 | Toymakers take note: the complex, magical, and non-conformist Ultra Violet has been named “2018 Color of the Year” by Pantone.

The world-renowned authority on color says the blue-based purple “[inspires] the desire to pursue a world beyond our own.” It’s reflective of our current culture and the collective need to create original content, express individuality, and contemplate the future – and will be seen across every industry in 2018, including fashion, food, interior design – and toys.

Ultra Violet is an evolution of Greenery, Pantone’s 2017 Color of the Year, which was selected based on our longing to reconnect with nature and with one another. Through the combination of “light-sustaining red and heavenly blue,” color experts say that Ultra Violet takes the sentiment one step deeper by inspiring us to create a more meaningful connection with the future and providing a calm refuge in an over-stimulated world.

Toymakers can apply the rich purple hue in a variety of ways:

• MYSTICAL & INTRIGUING: Thanks to the color’s magical properties, the use of Ultra Violet in toy design helps to heighten make-believe, cosmic, and fantastical worlds.
• DRAMA & GLAMOR: Long-worn by movie stars and style icons – from Elizabeth Taylor to Beyoncé – the purple hue brings an air of drama, glamor, and sophistication to dolls and doll accessories, including shoes, purses, makeup, jewelry, and hair.
• NON-CONFORMIST: The incorporation of Ultra Violet in role play items can create a bold and complex statement. Since the color symbolizes experimentation, it inspires children to push boundaries through creative play.
• HEALTH & WELLNESS:  According to Pantone, the color is used in design, lighting, and gathering places to “energize communities […] and inspire connection.” As the toy industry continues to create more toys and games that foster connection within communities, teach kids to be better global citizens, and inspire families to lead healthier lives, the use of Ultra Violet in packaging and marketing will help drive these messages home.

“It’s fascinating how color in product design and packaging can impact everything from the way consumers think and feel to what they purchase,” says Adrienne Appell, trend expert at The Toy Association. “As described by Pantone, Ultra Violet is a powerful and inspiring color that will lend itself well to the world of toys and games. We encourage toymakers to consider how this trending hue can be incorporated into their lines as they plan new product for 2018 and beyond.”

More information about the 2018 Color of the Year is available on Pantone’s website.

About Pantone’s Color of the Year: As individuals around the world become more fascinated with color and realize its ability to convey deep messages and meanings, designers and brands should feel empowered to use color to inspire and influence. The Color of the Year is one moment in time that provides strategic direction for the world of trend and design, reflecting the Pantone Color Institute’s year-round work doing the same for designers and brands.