Color Trend Watch

As we head into 2009, which colors are hot and which are not? Here’s one supplier’s practiced approach to figuring it all out.

By Percy Lidback
General Manager, Americas
AkzoNobel Specialty Plastic Coatings

Expect to see most light blues vanish, as more grays come onto the scene. And be ready for more near-black tones in the coming months. These are just a few color trends to watch for as 2009 approaches. As packaging designers try to keep up with consumers’ growing appetite for new products and new looks, predictions such as these leave most in the industry asking for more. But perhaps second only to a desire for more details about what the future holds is the desire to understand how these forecasts come about.
  
While every firm specializing in color and trend forecasting uses its own techniques to tackle this complex process, most generally adhere to a few basic principles and methods. Chief among them is the practice of maintaining a broad perspective. A wide-angle view is particularly important in today’s market as so many different areas—such as art, architecture, fashion, industrial design and pop culture—affect and borrow from one another more rapidly than ever. A look from a popular artist today can easily appear on the runway or resurface as the inspiration for a fragrance bottle tomorrow.
  
In addition to studying the colors and looks that are already emerging on the market, trend forecasters look closely at influences on consumers’ attitudes, needs and desires. By understanding these more psychological aspects, forecasters can pinpoint general attitudes that will express themselves in various looks and color trends. Negative attitudes about economic factors, for example, will affect what consumers respond to and seek. To gauge consumers’ attitudes about their lives and the world around them, forecasters look to a variety of sources, from the political and economic scene to a broad range of social issues and concerns.

Getting Inside the Consumer’s Head

This is just some of the research and thought that goes into AkzoNobel’s trend forecasts. Like our customers in the beauty packaging industry, it’s important for us to get inside the consumer’s head. The research of our 4C Color Group allows us to understand consumer trends so that we can provide color and trend guidance to our customers, and be prepared with the latest coatings technology to accommodate tomorrow’s looks. 4C draws on forecast and trend data from various sources around the world, including Peclers Paris and the Color Marketing Group, and uses this information to form a cohesive view of the most important trends. This year, 4C has identified three main trends and the accompanying palettes that will dominate early 2009.
 

Palette for 2008-2009

The overall palette in early 2009 will not experience a dramatic shift, but will undergo subtle yet important changes. Expect orange to transition to warm reds and become less prevalent. Near-black colors, by contrast, will become increasingly common. As light blues nearly disappear, grays will become important. These shifts to darker and grayer tones, however, will be balanced by bright yellow-greens and pale tones that will keep the overall palette full of light.
  
The three main trends that pair with this overall palette are known as Anno Nano,Global Ideal and Eco Deco.

Big Is Out; Small Is In

The promise of nanotechnology is already beginning to express itself in color and design. This change is central to the Anno Nano trend, which is typified by the move toward small and more mobile products across all industries. In cosmetics packaging, we are already beginning to see this shift.

Some examples include the emphasis on sample sizes, which offer consumers greater portability and a wider range of options. Modularity is also on the rise, as snap-on parts and products allow consumers to mix and match and take with them only what they please. One of the important looks within the Anno Nano trend is Biotech, which relies on natural greens and the soothing colors of bioluminescence to create technically advanced yet Zen-like effects. For designers, this means packaging that draws on organic themes, but maintains a simple yet technically sophisticated look.

Borrowing from the Neighbors

The second major trend, Global Ideal, focuses on the merging of global and local influences. This trend is seen in a variety of cultural crossovers, where foreign influences blend effortlessly. While local flavor remains alive and well, it is increasingly punctuated by influences from abroad. Designers can expect consumers to be drawn to packaging concepts that mix touches of the exotic with the familiar. Among the looks within this trend are Bollywood and Tech Chic. Bollywood draws inspiration from South Asia, with spice colors, earthy greens, mustards and sunset yellows. Tech Chic features a sophisticated mix of masculine and feminine colors, with near-black purples and blues ranging from cobalt to sky blue, and accents of red and magenta. This look relies on metallic finishes and intricate laser etchings.

Nurturing Nature

The Eco Deco trend is driven by consumers’ concerns about declining natural resources and the negative influences of war and natural disasters. This trend is typified by the movement towards environmental stability and sustainability, causing consumer focus to shift even further toward tactile, sensual, powerful and nourishing materials. Packaging designers will continue to see an emphasis on wood and natural materials, such as stones and plants. Counterbalancing the general feeling of loss and concern, colors and designs that evoke feelings of generosity will grow in popularity.
  
Among the major looks in this trend are Cheap Chic and Rustic Hip. Cheap Chic emphasizes a refined range of masculine neutrals, and mixes the expensive with the inexpensive to form a sophisticated and chic eclecticism. The color palette for this look pairs well with vintage objects of polished gold and silver. Colors include onyx, wood tones and off-whites that are grayed to neutral with a cooling blue. Rustic Hip draws on natural colors and warm, sunlit hues, such as straw, rust, saffron, moss green, burnt sienna and inky purple. Rustic Hip also features rich, dark neutrals and emphasizes
tactile comfort, with the look and feel of leather and suede.
  
Consumers’ constant search for new and different continues to keep designers challenged. But by keeping your focus on these major trends and the accompanying palette, you can stay in sync with where consumers will be tomorrow. And that approach, combined with your creativity, might be all it takes to come up with the next big hit in the world of beauty packaging.