Pantone's coloration of the 12 months 2021 is… grey and yellow
After a relentlessly horrific 2020, Pantone has chosen a dual color of the year, choosing gray and yellow to convey "a message of strength and hope," as the press release says.
Pantone 17-5104 is described by the paint company as "solid and reliable", much like pebbles on the beach or weathered natural elements that have stood the test of time, while Pantone 13-0647 is "sparkling with vibrancy, a warming yellow Shadow with solar energy ”.
It's a classic combination hands down, though some have expressed surprise at the company's choice for gray – rather than just any gray aptly called Ultimate Gray – which is hardly the most uplifting color to hit the last 12 Months came to an end. According to Leatrice Eiseman of Pantone, Managing Director of the Color Institute, the pairing is “practical and absolutely solid, but at the same time warming and optimistic”, which certainly feels like a scarce commodity at the moment.
Announcing the Pantone Color of the Year has become a year-end ritual for the creative industry – no matter how seriously you take it. Granted, the selection can feel rather good and bad, with the 2020 Classic Blue and 2019 Living Coral making sense, while the 2015 Marsala and 2018 Ultra Violet feel less like instant classics.
And after everything that has happened this grayest year, it's hard to wish that Pantone really went to town in just one really invigorating shade. Does Ultimate Gray feel a bit like admitting defeat? Maybe Illuminating had to stand alone for 2021.
pantone.com