Pantone Universe... here we come!

Pantone. It’s one of those brands I have grown up with. It is so well known for what it is yet it is one of those iconic identities that I find myself taking for granted. It is a tool, a resource that enables creatives to add a little structure and consistency to the limitless world of colour. It is powerful because it is trusted. The brand has worldwide loyalty and very few competitors. The brand itself represents a system for colour matching and management. It has surpassed being commercial to the point where it is a necessity. If you need to match colour in a print sense it really is a required necessity. A bit like Kodak was to camera film I the early 80’s – trusted like no other.

So what happens when you take the Pantone brand and apply it to commercial objects in an innovative manner… You get contemporary objects bearing this traditional and trusted brand. Objects that are cool, desirable and trusted by association… You get a Pantone Universe.

From designer chairs to t-shirts to crockery and mugs the simplicity of the pantone system is now a hot item. Imagine office furniture designed to exactly match the corporate brand colour and a board room table scattered with matching coffee mugs. Or perhaps each staff member chooses the Pantone colour that best fits their personality when they are hired and their mug and stationery are issued to match as a little added corporate culture enticement.

These are brilliant products lead by an outstanding brand. I can only assume more products are to come. As a brand consultant I like the notion that colour alone can be so emotive. The scientific proof behind what colour can make you feel is vast, and yet these little gems can put a simple label on it.

These products are a fantastic example of brand application. They don’t need to be all ‘fancy-pants’ about it, simple and clean. Let the colour speak volumes. It is an example of extremely successful licensing. Anyone can apply for a license of the Pantone Universe brand to apply to a product however the criterion is strict. I can only imagine that from here the product range will become vaster and Pantone colours will slowly start colouring in our lives. The big question I have is if it is so vastly used for consistency in many creative industries but primarily design, could it actually be the most effective system for interior design too? How great would it be if carpet manufacturers, paint and wallpaper manufacturers and upholstery fabric producers all started to match to this system. Pantone Universally? These products are almost the final destination, the frills to the colour structure of life. Trust is key to spark such innovation.

Currently the price point on these products are slightly higher than I would perhaps expect them to be, but then so too is the actual colour swatch itself. This all adds to its value. I think it might even inc rease the demand slightly as those already floating around in the esoteric Pantone Universe will only want them more.