Pantone's 'life-affirming' color of the year the same shade as rapidly dying coral reefs

The News Journal

Pantone's 2019 color of the year is one that may soon exist only as a paint or dye.

Living coral is a "nurturing color that appears in our natural surroundings and at the same time, displays a lively presence within social media," according to the New Jersey company.

"Lying at the center of our naturally vivid and chromatic ecosystem, PANTONE Living Coral is evocative of how coral reefs provide shelter to a diverse kaleidoscope of color."

This image released by Pantone Color Institute shows a swatch featuring Living Coral, which Pantone Color Institute has chosen as its 2019 color of the year. (Pantone Color Institute via AP) ORG XMIT: NYET300

In reality, dead zones affect dozens of coral reefs around the world and threaten hundreds more, according to Smithsonian Institution scientists.

The Great Barrier Reef has been ravaged by coral bleaching, a phenomenon where water temperatures become too high and corals expel the algae that give them their color.

A handout photo made available by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Australia on March 10, 2017, shows the Great Barrier Reef suffering mass coral bleaching for a second year in a row.

While corals can survive bleaching, they are under more stress and subject to mortality. The algae provide up to 90 percent of the coral's energy and without them, the coral may starve.

A 2017 Unesco report found "coral bleaching" has impacted 72 percent of World Heritage-listed reefs. Reefs could disappear altogether by 2100 if climate change progresses at its current rate, the report says.

Yet, living coral, the color, is gaining strength, Pantone says.

Butter London is collaborating with Pantone as its official U.S. beauty partner to introduce the 2019 Color of the Year. It is offering an exclusive six-piece collection, featuring Living Coral nail lacquers, lip gloss and a blush stick.

Laurie Pressman, the company's vice president, considers the saturated orange base with a golden undertone not only warm and welcoming but versatile and life-affirming.

"With everything that's going on today, we're looking for those humanizing qualities because we're seeing online life dehumanizing a lot of things," Pressman told The Associated Press.

"We're looking toward those colors that bring nourishment and the comfort and familiarity that make us feel good. It's not too heavy. We want to play. We want to be uplifted."

This Sept. 12, 2018 file photo shows a model wearing a coral outfit from the Marc Jacobs spring 2019 collection during Fashion Week in New York.

Of course, critics have pointed out that the color isn't uplifting at all when contrasted with bone white coral.

Slate Magazine, for example, accused Pantone of sugarcoating dystopia.

"Pantone might as well have named it “The Rare Coral That Has Not Yet Been Bleached, as It Inevitably Someday Will in This Increasingly Toxic Toilet Bowl We Call Earth,” staff writer Christina Cauterucci wrote.

Others think the 2019 color of the year could bring awareness to corals' plight, as the company intends it to.

Pantone named the new year's color the same day scientists announced emissions of carbon dioxide – the greenhouse gas most responsible for global warming – had reached an all-time high.

“Coral is a great accent color and is often used to bring pops of color into more neutral spaces," says Sue Wadden, director of color marketing at Sherwin-Williams. "If you want to go bold, but not overcommit, try using Coral Reef SW 6606 to paint the kitchen island, as an accent wall or within artwork in the room.”

The color also points to a long and often painful slog over the last decade or so through financial market scares and political crises to environmental chaos and the rise of social media, where saturated color presides, Pressman said.

"We're seeing so much more saturated color," she said. "That's the influence of social media because people want things to stand out. This is definitely a color you see on social media."

Living Coral is vivifying, but it's "not so overpowering and in your face," she said. "It's bright enough, and engaging."

More about Living Coral

Officially, Living Coral is Pantone 16-1546.

Ever wonder what those Pantone numbers are all about?

"Hang a picture inspired by this hue where you’ll see it often – the kitchen, bathroom or entryway are great options – to channel its warmth when you need it," says Sandra Chandler, trend expert and lead buyer at Art.com.

Well, they're broken into three pairs and refer to a color's level of lightness, hue and "chroma," on various scales. What, you ask, is chroma?

It's a description that combines hue and saturation. A set of letters after the numbers indicate the material or substance upon which the color was printed or otherwise placed, such as dyed cotton or paper.

Coming up with such color standards is one of those other things Pantone does when it's not announcing colors of the year.

Before Ultra Violet was chosen for 2018, there was Greenery the year before. In 2016, Pantone picked a duo for the first time: Serenity (a baby blue) and Rose Quartz (a light pink).

The selection process spans the year. Pantone's experts travel the world in search of color influences that gained momentum, from the entertainment industry and traveling art collections to fashion and beauty trends, travel destinations and specialty shows for design and decor.

"Rather than specific design styles ruling the day, we’re seeing a preference for colors, shapes and textures that make us happy – and Living Coral might be just the ‘pop of delight’ a space needs to come to life," says Christine Marvin, director of corporate strategy and design at Marvin Windows and Doors.

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The Associated Press contributed to this story. Contact Jessica Bies at (302) 324-2881 or jbies@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @jessicajbies.