Pantone’s 2022 Color of the Year Revealed as “Very Peri”

In an announcement that is always celebrated, reviled and discussed ad nauseum by armchair design experts and color fans, the Pantone Color Institute has officially selected and announced its Color of the Year for 2022. The color, meant to symbolize and predict the tenor of the coming year, has been dubbed “Very Peri.” As the name would no doubt imply, the shade is a form of periwinkle blue, although this one has distinct red undertones. It’s a unique selection for Pantone, being the first time that the color institute has ever manufactured a new color themselves for the Color of the Year rather than selecting one from their endless archive.

“It was really important for us to come up with a new color, because we have a very new vision of the world now,” said Pantone Color Institute’s Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman in a conference call. “It is literally the happiest and the warmest of all the blue hues. Because of that red undertone, it introduces an empowering feeling of newness, and newness is what we’re looking for.”

Pantone vice president Laurie Pressman went on to say that Very Peri “has that sprightly, joyous attitude that we’re talking about, that carefree confidence, and creative spirit.”

In terms of inspirations, Very Peri most notably reflects contributions from the world of emerging digital technology. The company describes the color as drawing inspiration from corners of the tech world such as NFTs (non-fungible tokens) or the billionaire space race, and thus worked with Microsoft as a partner for the Color of the Year launch. Fittingly, Very Peri will thus be incorporated into an array of Microsoft apps, such as screensavers, backgrounds and app interface options. And naturally, Pantone will also slap the new color on every possible product just in time for the gifting season, so you can present your graphic designer friend with yet another colorful coffee mug.

Check out another swatch of the admittedly pleasant looking Very Peri below.