As international tensions and economic troubles make life ever more complicated and uncertain, consumers around the world seek simplicity, harmony and tranquility. They attempt to break stereotypes, form new connections, and create their own sustainable environment. They yearn for authenticity, functionality and personal luxury.
 These tendencies, and their influence on color preferences in plastics products, are identified in ColorForward™ 2010. This latest edition of the annual color trend analysis and design tool has just been released by Clariant Masterbatches, a world leader in color and additive concentrates and performance solutions for the plastics industry.
As the premier color forecasting tool in the plastics industry, ColorForward™ enables designers and brand managers to make successful color choices today for products and packaging that will be marketed a year or more in the future. Anticipating which colors will resonate with tomorrow’s consumers, ColorForward is an essential guide for brand marketers who seek a competitive advantage.
“In general, the colors for 2010 are soft and understated,” explains Cristina Carrara, Designer at Clariant ColorWorks™ Europe in Merate, near Milan, Italy. “Only the organic colors from the 2009 palette become deeper and more complex in 2010, with beiges and brown colors coming into focus. The bright primary colors that were popular over the last few years are disappearing. Yellow will remain bright, but it is trending a bit greener, while blues are lighter and fresher. The reds are moving more toward the pink and also deeper, with coral red becoming popular. Purple, which made its appearance in 2008, is still present, but now it has a new soul, trending toward violet and lilac.”
Pink/orange coral and turquoise are considered semiprecious stones and coral, in particular, is under increasingly ecological pressure as pollution and global warming limit the growth of reefs. “Their connection to nature makes these colors attractive alternatives to green for customers who want to follow an ecology theme,” Cristina Carrara suggests.
Colors Reflect Lifestyle
ColorForward 2010 is the work of an international group of Clariant color specialists, including members of influential color analysis organizations in the world. After determining which cultural and lifestyle trends will have true global relevance, they identify colors that convey the same ideas and emotions. For 2010, the team has identified four sociological themes that will significantly impact consumer color choices:
* Reinventing Happiness – Consumers are responding to the precarious nature of life today by reevaluating their lives to see what truly gives them pleasure and satisfaction. This may lead them to create a peaceful home environment or to seek activities that provide escape and excitement.
* Tech It Easy – Society has never been more open to technology’s ability to serve our needs and simplify modern living. Designers are able to cross established boundaries, embracing new materials and new textures, and creating products outside their usual spheres.
* Embracing Gaia – The ancient Greeks believed in Gaia, goddess of Earth. This ColorForward theme acknowledges how modern material and production technologies allow creative people unprecedented freedom to express themselves through the use of shapes, forms, functions, colors and visual effects drawn from Mother Nature.
* Age Shock – Stereotypes are breaking down and the boundaries between age groups are less distinct. Older baby boomers continue to enjoy a hip, active lifestyle, while affluent young people look for ways to demonstrate their style and sophistication. It all adds up to energy and attitude across the generations.
“This is a global forecast,” notes Maurizio Torchio, Head of Clariant ColorWorks Europe, “so our team looks for commonalities – ideas and hues that fit any part of the world, regardless of regional circumstances. Hardly any other organization in the plastics industry is as well-positioned to gather, analyze and make use of this data as Clariant Masterbatches.”
ColorForward 2010 identifies 20 colors – five colors for each of the four societal and lifestyle trends detailed above. The color palette for Reinventing Happiness, for instance, features a warm dark-chocolate brown called “Goldiva” and a rich, creamy raspberry red called “Satisfaction.” It also includes a soft greyish blue named “Balance,” a pearly champagne color called “Cashmere,” along with a light turquoise blue, dubbed “Spring Fling,” which is reminiscent of shallow Caribbean waters. People will respond to these colors, the Clariant team feels, because they express harmony and balance, combining a feeling of luxury with the warmth and safety of a cocoon. The color choices for Age Shock, on the other hand, are bright and fresh, with a hip and trendy appeal. They break new ground even as they hark back to the tie-dyed fabrics of the 1960s. This palette includes an energetic fuchsia called “Transition,” as well as a softer red-shaded lilac called “Elixir.” “Forever Young” is a pink orange that expresses youthful vitality, while “Jeanealogy” blue connects to the jeans culture. “I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat” is a saturated yellow that is both bright and energetic and, at the same time, soft and childlike.
An eight-page brochure captures all the ColorForward 2010 social trend themes and color directions in dozens of photographs and clever illustrations, while a boxed set of 20 color chips provides a more tactile experience. Most of these samples have been molded in polypropylene, but for the first time there are three chips that illustrate creative opportunities in other plastics: high-impact polystyrene (HIPS), polylactic acid biopolymer (PLA), and a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). The PLA biopolymer, for instance, is colored using an all-natural RENOL®-natur masterbatch, produced from compostable, biodegradable and renewable raw materials. The color “Jungle Passion,” from the Embracing Gaia series, is a deep crimson red produced from natural pigments derived from plants. TPE allowed the ColorForward team to offer both a tactile and visual representation of softness. They colored the soft-touch elastomer with “Barefoot in the Park,” a relaxing, organic green, also from the Embracing Gaia theme.
The forecast colors should be viewed as points of inspiration and exploration, open to interpretation and adaptation to meet the requirements of specific products and markets. Mixing and matching the colors from all four trends can further expand design concepts. Those interested in learning more about ColorForward can visit www.colorworks.clariant.com and click on the Color Trends tab. Clariant also offers seminars at the seven ColorWorks locations as well as at selected conferences and at customer sites.
 Download ColorForward™ 2010 Presentation (PDF, 3117 kb)
Clariant Masterbatches products are marketed under the following global brand names: REMAFIN® olefinic masterbatches and compounds; RENOL® masterbatches and compounds based on engineering resins, styrenics and PVC; CESA® additive masterbatches; HYDROCEROL® chemical foaming and nucleating agents; OMNICOLOR® universal color masterbatches. These brand names are all registered trademarks of Clariant. |
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