March 31, 2010 - Muttenz, Switzerland - Colors for 2011 will be brighter and more lively, reflecting a renewed sense of optimism in a world still struggling with natural and man-made crises, according to ColorForward™, the respected plastics color forecasting service from Clariant Masterbatches. At the same time, consumers can be expected to respond more to technology, materials and emotions that stimulate the senses in ways that go beyond the merely visible.
ColorForward 2011 is the collaborative effort of plastics color specialists from North and South America, Europe and Asia who work in Clariant’s global network of ColorWorks™ design & technology centers. The color trend analysis and design tool is released annually by Clariant Masterbatches to help plastic product designers and marketing professionals make informed color choices.
Each year, the ColorForward team explores global cultural influences and lifestyle trends to gauge their impact on color directions for future consumer products. Their conclusions are based on months of research and collaboration with color experts in such diverse fields as textiles, perfumes and furniture. They also have the added benefit of working every day with world-class product designers and brand companies.
“This is the fifth year we have prepared ColorForward, and each year our partners and customers grow more confident in our assessments,” says Maurizio Torchio, Head of ColorWorks Europe, Merate, Italy. “The inspiration for our predictions comes from many different sources all around the world, so we always have a wide range of opinions. In the end, however, our team was in full agreement on the trends we decided to feature, and the outside consultants we talked to also confirmed our choices.”
While many trends were considered, only the ones with true global relevance made the final list, Torchio says. ColorForward 2011 links colors and ideas to four general themes:
What a Wonderful World - recognizes a positivism that has always been a part of the culture in some regions – like Asia and South America – and can be expected to take hold elsewhere as people view the world, even with its problems, with a growing sense of optimism.
“I live and work in Brazil, where people always seem to be happy and sociable,” says Antonio Rollo, ColorWorks Project Manager. “Even during the worst of the financial crisis, Brazilians continued to live an outgoing, optimistic lifestyle. You find this across many other parts of Latin America and also in other parts of the world like India. Although life may be difficult, you see people remaining happy, enthusiastic and energetic. We think this feeling has become contagious and will be spreading around the world in 2011. This is seen in colors that are bright and happy but not overly vivid. They have energy and freshness, reflecting an upbeat approach to life.”
The colors selected for What a Wonderful World can be described as bright, fresh, exuberant and optimistic. A festive fuchsia called Bollywood, for instance, is inspired by the hugely popular musical cinema of India.
In-Fusion2 - acknowledges the blending of technology with the human experience. Digital media, especially, are woven seamlessly into modern life, and consumers welcome these innovations because they enhance their relationships with each other and the larger world. Technology becomes more like an extension of one’s body. An example is the growth of “Augmented Reality,” where graphics, sound and other sense enhancements dissolve the separation between the real and virtual worlds.
“This trend is very much driven by our desire for experiences that involve all five senses,” explains Sandrine Reboux, Market Development Manager, at the ColorWorks center in McHenry, Illinois, USA. “We want more intense connections with the objects and events in our lives. This leads designers to look for technology that can help consumers develop a closer connection with their products. The colors we chose – like a neon-bright green, called I Gotta Feeling, or a vivid coral that we named Wi-Red – are intense but also somewhat feminine, suggesting how hard technology is becoming an integral part of the human experience.”
Three of the five colors in the In-Fusion2 grouping are actually created by pairing a bright transluscent color and white in two-layer molded plaques. Wi-Red, for instance, joins a laser-like red with white that reduces the edginess and softens the overall effect.
Speak Out - springs from a move toward self-expression. Personal branding is spreading rapidly with customization in clothes, music, tattoos, cars, diets, or cell phone ringtones. People want to play without regard to traditional boundaries, and society is more open and judgment-free. Using technology and global connectivity, anyone can quickly attract huge audiences and gain dramatic, if only temporary, visibility.
Cristina Carrara, Designer at ColorWorks Europe, describes the colors of Speak Out as “very strong… almost pop.” In ColorForward 2010, she says, “we predicted people would be looking inward, attempting to create a private, secure world for themselves. For 2011, however, we believe consumers will be tired of feeling insecure and will be ready to emerge into a more optimistic world, looking for their personal moment in the spotlight.”
For that reason, the colors of this megatrend also “Speak Out.” This vibrant and assertive color palette includes a provocative, assertive pink called “Pinkitsch,” and a bright, vibrant, expressive greenish yellow that was dubbed “Poppsycho.”
Forgotten Treasures - creates a link to the past but with a contemporary feel. The nostalgia that consumers found so attractive and comfortable during the recent, troubled years is not disappearing but rather is being reinvented. Memories are merging with modern sensibilities, creating an environment where the past and present coexist, and colors are at once classic and sophisticated.
“The colors we chose to represent Forgotten Treasures are deep and strong,” says Norzihan Aziz, Head of ColorWorks Asia. “They feel ancient and primal, but they are balanced by neutrals that provide a natural, contemporary timelessness.”
To illustrate this juxtaposition, ColorForward 2011 uses the ENIGMA® Fade gradation special effect, where one color “fades” into another thanks to a multilayer molding technique. In Cire à Cacheter, for instance, a rusty red gently softens into an antique rose, and in The Little Emperor, a luminous orange fades into a pearly sunny yellow.
“The Fade effect can be created only in the finished article,” explains Aziz, “so we present these colors in multilayer blowmolded bottles. It shows the color but it also introduces another sensory element… that of touch. And we have not only layered color but also texture.” The bottle illustrating a comforting blue called Yet It Moves, has a “touch-friendly” surface layer so that the visual softness of the color is also reflected in the way the sample feels in one’s hand.
The trends and colors of ColorForward 2011 are collected in a 12-page, three-dimensional binder with spectacular photos, eye-catching graphics and illuminating text, as well as color chips, multilayer plaques and the blowmolded bottles that are part of Forgotten Treasures.
The forecast colors in ColorForward 2011 are not intended to be viewed as prescriptions for success. The team does not attempt to identify the “next hot color.” Rather, the trends and colors are offered as points of inspiration and exploration, open to interpretation and adaptation to meet the requirements of specific products and markets. 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.
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 and ENIGMA® are all registered trademarks, and ColorForward and ColorWorks™ are trademarks of Clariant.
More information on Clariant Masterbatches products is available at
www.clariant.masterbatches.com.
