‘Cloud Dancer’, a soft white, has been chosen by Vogue for Pantone’s color of the year. Vogue’s color of the year is intended to influence marketing strategies, focusing on the fashion industry. This helps businesses narrow down to a central goal (the color Cloud Dancer). With this, we can expect to see a lot of white in the market for this year. Between clothing, accessories, products, decor, and many more, Cloud Dancer will be the main focus. The color of the year is based on prior influence on lifestyles and culture. Pantone’s color of the year is decided through a year-long process of research, observation, and interest by professionals.
Why Cloud Dancer?
Pantone uses color to show how emotions, aesthetics, and events can be reflected and interpreted through color. Pantone shares, “We wanted to highlight to our audience how what is taking place in our global culture is expressed and reflected through the language of color.” Each color has a meaning. Colors represent a new denotation that can be seen as a motto for the given year. Cloud Dancer symbolizes a clean slate and a fresh start. This color is meant to provide comfort and ease, bringing peace into the new year. What seems like a simple color actually has a deeper idea to revisit and stick with throughout the year. Like any other color of the year, Cloud Dancer can be viewed as a new year’s resolution and a chance to restart.
Impact on the Market
Pantone’s color is a language for businesses. Brands using the designated color of the year are beneficial for them: staying in touch with trends and fashion awareness. Changes and updates within displays, marketing, and packaging help the brand feel trendy. Consumers often feel pressured to or want to keep up with the trends, associating showcased trends with better products. Having a color of the year also makes decision-making easier for brands by having a foundation and vision for their market. This helps to positively guide brands by aligning desire with product, considering the color has already been validated by Pantone and promoted through Vogue. In all, Cloud Dancer is a fresh start to the new year, with a focus on attracting viewers and consumers.