Have you ever wondered where all those colors of the year come from? Who decides, and how do they come up with them? The concept was originated by Pantone, the undisputed king of color and creators of the Pantone Matching System.
When you work in industries like advertising or printing, you buy big, expensive books of swatches with all the available Pantone colors. Designers use the books to choose colors for things like logos, and printers use them to make sure the finished product (like a sign or poster) is a perfect match. Your company’s official Pantone color is a law you don’t break: think of Home Depot orange (Pantone 165) or Starbucks green (Pantone 3425).
The color of the year is big business. Hundreds of products are made featuring the color, from sneakers to kitchen knives, and many paint companies now announce their own annual pick.
You can see how colors are meant to capture the national mood, like 2002’s True Red in response to the patriotism stirred by 9/11 or 2021’s juxtaposition of gray against bright yellow to capture our feelings about the pandemic.
To learn more, The Hustle did a deep dive into who chooses the color of the year, how they choose it, and the impact it has. Here’s each winning Pantone Color of the Year since 2000, along with the latest color for 2023. Which one is your favorite?
2000
Cerulean Blue
2001
Fuchsia Rose
2002
True Red
2003
Aqua Sky
2004
Tigerlily
2005
Blue Turquoise
2006
Sand Dollar
2007
Chili Pepper
2008
Blue Iris
2009
Mimosa
2010
Turquoise
2011
Honeysuckle
2012
Tangerine Tango
2013
Emerald
2014
Radiant Orchid
2015
Marsala
2016
Serenity and Rose Quartz
2017
Greenery
2018
Ultra Violet
2019
Living Coral
2020
Classic Blue
2021
Illuminating and Ultimate Gray
2022
Very Peri
2023
Viva Magenta
