Pantone has taken inspiration from nature to reveal its 2017 Colour of the Year: PANTONE 15-0343 Greenery.
The yellow-green shade replaces 2016's twin colours of the year, PANTONE 15-3919 Serenity and PANTONE 13-1520 Rose Quartz, and was chosen to symbolise hope and renewal.
“While Serenity and Rose Quartz, the PANTONE Color of the Year 2016, expressed the need for harmony in a chaotic world, Greenery bursts forth in 2017 to provide us with the hope we collectively yearn for amid a complex social and political landscape. Satisfying our growing desire to rejuvenate, revitalise and unite, Greenery symbolises the reconnection we seek with nature, one another and a larger purpose,” said Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute.
David Stead, Sales Manager Australia & New Zealand at Pantone owners X-Rite, says Greenery was chosen for its versatility. "A big driver on Greenery is its versatility is a colour – from textiles to plastics and more. I think it’s going to achieve that, it’s going to make people think about colour across multiple processes," he said.According to Stead, Pantone picks its Colours of the Year to evoke emotion and get people talking about colour. "In 2015 we had Marsala, which people either loved or hated, but it made people talk about it. Last year they picked two colours – why? To spark discussion. Whether you love a colour or hate it, if you’re not evoking an emotion with colour, why are you even trying? It’s all about emotion, you’ve got to evoke that emotion,” he said.
Eiseman said that Greenery offers a sense of buoyancy, speaking to a desire to 'express, explore, experiment and reinvent'. “Through its reassuring yet assertive vibrancy, Greenery offers us self-assurance and boldness to live life on our own terms, during a time when we are redefining what makes us successful and happy,” she said.
The closest match for Greenery in Pantone's PLUS Series is 376C, which can be achieved in CMYK with C=54 M=0 Y=100 K=0; in RGB with sR=132 sG=189 sB=0; and in HTML (as seen here) with 84BD00.
Previous Colours of the Year include:
- PANTONE 15-3919 Serenity and PANTONE 13-1520 Rose Quartz (2016)
- PANTONE 18-1438 Marsala (2015)
- PANTONE 18-3224 Radiant Orchid (2014)
- PANTONE 17-5641 Emerald (2013)
- PANTONE 17-1463 Tangerine Tango (2012)
- PANTONE 18-2120 Honeysuckle (2011)
- PANTONE 15-5519 Turquoise (2010)
- PANTONE 14-0848 Mimosa (2009)
- PANTONE 18-3943 Blue Iris (2008)
- PANTONE 19-1557 Chili Pepper (2007)
- PANTONE 13-1106 Sand Dollar (2006)
- PANTONE 15-5217 Blue Turquoise (2005)
- PANTONE 17-1456 Tigerlily (2004)
- PANTONE 14-4811 Aqua Sky (2003)
- PANTONE 19-1664 True Red (2002)
- PANTONE 17-2031 Fuchsia Rose (2001)
- PANTONE 15-4020 Cerulean (2000)
The most recent green to have featured as Colour of the Year is 2013's entry, PANTONE 17-5641 Emerald.