Color Trends
Rose
 
Last week we realized that our Instagram feed was punctuated by a sea of pink tones. 
 
The biggest problem with trend forecasting is that sometimes you forget how much you love a color until it's finally arrived (more than a year after our initial report). Such is the case with a chalk-dusted pastel pink  which has become the new neutral in fashion and a sign of spring on global wine lists.
 
Rosé
 
We rediscovered rosé as a grown up version of "blush" many years ago in Paris but, it took time for the color to gain cultural relevance. Perhaps the hue has been damaged by a series of memorable pinks in the 1970s and 1980s, including Sutter Home's "White Zinfandel" and Mary Kay cosmetics. But consumers are finally willing to channel the iconic grace and elegance of Jackie Kennedy in the 1960s.
 
The cause/effect in the popularity of oxblood last fall sets the stage for a washed out pink as a counterbalance to statement pops of color. A milky peony is also a nostalgic ultra-femme alternative to overtly eager pinks that are so commonplace in the lingerie and teen market. 
 
It takes more than optimistic thinking to track and edit relevant trends before they're commonplace. Contact us to take the guesswork off of your plate. 
Orgami Street Art
 
Mademoiselle Maurice is a 28 year old French artist that caught our attention.
 
She works in a variety of different mediums — from paper (origami) to yarn (crochet) — to create non-permanent colorful art. Each piece is a naive works at first sight based on the events encountered during her daily life.
 
 
We love the idea of street art performed with hundreds of colorful origami glued on the walls of Paris.
 
London
London
 
It seems like forever since we were in Paris marveling at the window displays, featuring Anglomania as a defining theme in 2012.
 
Earlier this month, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee proved that the British know how to market with ceremony and grandeur. And if these products and projects serve as a trend indicator, July 27th will be an Olympic moment to behold.  
 
Selfridges Urban Survival Backpacks
 
{photos: Selfridges}
 
Luggage, backpacks and tote bags are getting overhauled in Olympic-inspired artwork as the world sets its gaze on London. Selfridges has geared up to an historic summer of sports with the launch of its limited edition Urban Survival Backpack range, created by Mulberry, Oliver Spencer, Vivienne Westwood, Paul Smith, 3.1 Philip Lim, Barbour, Eastpak, Kiehl’s, and Nike. Other brands embracing the trend include: Gucci with the Series Collection (a combo pack of high-tops and a large leather duffle boasting the London skyline), Y-3 with a Faster, Higher, Stronger Collection of graphic totes, and MCM with a pyramid-studded punk homage to the Union Jack flag.
 
Colette Olympics  Orlebar Brown
{photo: Colette}
 
Across the channel, French concept store Colette is celebrating the Olympics with a musical marathon offering a combination of songs set to the beat of abstract geometrics to go along with its selection of Olympic-inspired wares. We love the 5th Anniversary shorts from Orlebar Brown featuring iconic sports imagery from the Getty Images collection by photographers including Slim Aarons, Dennis Hallinan and John Arsenault.
 
Coca-Cola Olympics Cans
 
{photos: Matt W. Moore}
 
Aiming to prove that Coca Cola’s not just a drink but a cultural superstar, the brand has tapped producer Mark Ronson to mix the sounds of athletes in training for the games with Katy B’s vocals. The brand also engaged designer Matt W. Moore, aka MWM, to create a visual identity boasting his signature “Vectorfunk” style.
 
Following suit, the 2012 Olympic Games in London are getting creative to engage a new audience online. The Olympic Athletes’ Hub aggregates the verified social media feeds of more than 1,000 current and former Olympians and posts content directly from Facebook and Twitter accounts. A gamification layer incents fans to interact with the site to access exclusive training-tips videos and gain virtual and real-world prizes according to how many athletes they like and follow online.  
 
Framed as a cultural innovator with roots in modernism and heritage, the London Olympics are sure to deepen our fascination with all things British.
 
{image: do2learn.com}
 
Color is the universal language that everyone recognizes.
 
Informed by cultural keystrokes, our perceptions are intrinsically linked to the impact of color and navigating that spectrum is vital to relationship building.
 
Colors help to create a recognizable and distinct brand identity. At retail, we often talk about the impact of brand views tied to a logo, packaging design, store schematic, or marketing campaign to provoke an instant reaction.
 
Seasonal themes are often represented by multiple hierarchical tones across a vast spectrum.  Irrespective of forecasts, a mega color like Tangerine Tango will need a backdrop of many shades to pop accordingly and generate desire. This fall, blues dominate the supporting cast with twilight and reflective calm as harvest hues establish a granular base next to acidic shades of moss. Every alpha has a beta.
 
As we examine the continuum of color for 2013, we are far more enthralled with inspiration that sounds a dynamic chord rather than just a singular note.
 
 
This slightly offbeat form of inspiration celebrates the hue, not the race. At The Color Run, runners in white t-shirt experience a rainbow of powdered pigments at each leg of the event 5km race. Every kilometer is associated with a designated color:  1k is yellow, 2k is blue, 3k is green, 4k is pink, and the 5k finish is a “Color Extravaganza.” This celebration transforms physical endurance into a vibrant hue procession.
 
 

Similarly, the kickstarter campaign The Present by Scott Thrift of m ss ng p eces, tells the story of the seasons using subtle gradients of pure color to mark the equinoxes & solstices throughout the years. Using a custom microprocessor commissioned to accurately turn hours into months, the color wheel is a reminder not to sweat the small stuff.  

Regardless of must-have trends, color is creative promise — which raises the bar in terms of architecture, design, and fashion.
 
the power of x
This gorgeous short video for the TEDxSummit last month in Doha, Qatar is a visual celebration of "the power of x" to multiply great ideas.
 

We love the kaleidoscope and predict this style of imagery and color-blocking will be a strong trend in advertising. Check it out.

 
social mobile gifting
May the fourth be with you...
 
CULTURE
 
 
  • Wrapp brings social mobile gifting service to the U.S. via Tech Crunch.
  • The iPad revolutionizes iconic Hotel Bel-Air's room service via USA Today.
  • Hue-tastic: Big Apple's new taxis are 'apple green' via New York Post.
 
FASHION
 
FOOD
  • Feast your eyes on the Pretzelnator, the first crowdsourced burger at McDonald's via Ad Week.
  • What's hot on food trucks: Portable, customizable, and innovative dishes via Nation's Restaurant News.
  • Email rules social media, even for fans via Restaurant Hospitality.
 
 
trendscaping
 
Why Our 2013 Annual Trendscaping Report is Required Reading.
 
1. Trends matter.
Now more than ever, culture is fueling the engine of commerce. Consumer behavior, preferences, and expectations determine our culture. And it’s constantly changing. Keeping up with these cultural changes – or trends – gives you the power to advance your brand. To be in the right place, with the right message, at the right time. To leave the competition eating your dust.
 
2.  We’ve spent our time and money so you don’t have to.
We’ve done all the legwork, scoping out brands, products, and cultural phenomena that are inside and outside your category. Our annual report gives you a concise and stylish account of the latest consumer trends. What’s more, it tells you what they mean for your business. Doing your homework has never been so easy. Or affordable.
 
3.  With insight comes innovation.
It’s not enough to just spot a trend. Great ideas come from understanding what it means and where it’s headed. Think remote retail. Personalized window shopping. Or mini pastries. The more insights you have about your customers’ behavior, interests, and expectations, the easier it is to tailor your business or service to meet their needs.
 
4.  Turn a pitch into a home run.
Whether you’re a manager pitching a new idea to your boss, or a CEO trying to persuade the board, the job of selling never stops. We make it easier by providing additional research, facts, visual aids, and insider knowledge to strengthen your presentation. In other words, the extra muscle you need to knock your next pitch out of the park.
 
5.  It Pays to be Proactive.
The world is changing even as we speak. And that affects business. Exploring big-picture consumer themes and what they mean is crucial to staying one step ahead of your competition – and your customers. Because once you know where people are headed, you can be there to meet them.
 
Get out front and stay there.
Pre-order your 2013 Annual Trendscaping Report here.
 
color forecasting
Sephora Pantone Beauty
{photo: Sephora.com}
 
 
Color forecasting company Pantone and Sephora previewed their collaborative beauty range and featured Pantone 2012 color of the year, Tangerine Tango, in the email campaign.
 
What do you think about color authorities launching for-profit products?
 
[UPDATED 3.22.12]
The duo will launch a pop-up temporary store in NYC today to promote the range, according to Racked. Read about how Sephora and Pantone plan extend the promotion at retail throughout the year with summer, fall, and holiday collections that put tangerine in a more seasonal context here.
 
Tangerine Tango
{image: Pantone.com}
 
Can a color shift shoppers moods?
 
Pantone Color Institute has named “Tangerine Tango,” a radiant red-orange, as the top color of 2012 to “provide the energy boost we need to recharge and move forward.” The shade is very similar to the brilliant orangey-red obsession that we featured back in 2009.
 
Orange signals not only vitality, but also urgency and strength—associations that should resonate in a year where many are hoping to finally start seeing changes. “There’s the element of encouragement with orange,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. “It’s building on the ideas of courage and action, that we want to move on to better things.

The color news comes days after a WWD report that Pantone and Sephora are launching a Pantone-branded makeup range for 2012.
 
Coincidence? We don't think so. Tangerine Tango would make a great nail or lip color.
 
Versace H&M
Quick and easy, never cheesy...
 
RETAIL
{image: H&M}
 
 
FOOD
 
CULTURE