Feeling blue
As we approach the start of a new decade, many of us can’t shake an unsettled feeling. Whether the anxieties stem from global threats like climate change, civic turmoil or a more personal concern, Pantone offers a solution in the form of its Color of the Year 2020: Classic Blue.
Classic Blue is the equivalent of 30 years of therapy – comfort food for the psyche – judging by how the company describes its winning 2020 hue:
“A timeless and enduring blue hue, PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue is elegant in its simplicity. Suggestive of the sky at dusk, the reassuring qualities of the thought-provoking PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue highlight our desire for a dependable and stable foundation on which to build as we cross the threshold into a new era.
“Imprinted in our psyches as a restful color, PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue brings a sense of peace and tranquility to the human spirit, offering refuge.
…
“As technology continues to race ahead of the human ability to process it all, it is easy to understand why we gravitate to colors that are honest and offer the promise of protection. Non-aggressive and easily relatable, the trusted PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue lends itself to relaxed interaction. Associated with the return of another day, this universal favorite is comfortably embraced.”
All righty then, are we dozing off in the sweet embrace of our easy chairs yet? It’s hard to see how a person could resist this enormous shot of reassurance. And who could blame Pantone for doing its part to restore our sense of universal order? Things are a mite dramatic these days and offering up a dose of visual valium could be an effective gesture to ease our collective stress, however slightly.
Some might accuse the tone of lacking excitement, but Pantone’s Classic Blue beats the boring rap by virtue of being so darn pleasant. Blue in general is, after all, the color a large majority of world’s citizens cite as their favorite.
Will it heal our fractured body politic, increase our financial security and give us all shiny, beautiful hair? Probably not, but Classic Blue may gently remind us to breathe deeply and hold fast to the belief that everything will be okay.
