All Color Matters

Yet another company joins the fray in trying to exploit a holiday (of sorts). Nike tried to defy convention by introducing a sneaker without any noticeable shade of green to commemorate St. Patrick’s Day . The SB Dunk Low was nicknamed the ‘Black and Tan’ because of it’s noticeable beer-themed colors that are reminiscent of the popular drink combo of a pint of Guinness mixed with Harp pale ale. Thought as a complimentary nod of good cheer, Nike instead received protest from the Irish community here and abroad. The drink originally takes its name from the Black and Tans army unit employed by the Royal Irish Constabulary. Instead of fulfilling their mission to suppress revolution in Ireland, they became notoriously brutal by attacking the general Irish population during the 1920’s. It’s hard to believe that a 30,000 strong, publicly held company like Nike, could fail to catch this faux pas. What was their marketing department thinking?? Just a few clicks would have revealed th...

Branding executives will once again be monitoring the latest foray in the battle to make a color exclusive to a product. Christian Louboutin will argue their case this week via federal appellate to demonstrate that Yves Saint Laurent has been stepping onto their turf by manufacturing their own version of red-soled women’s shoes. Not easily discouraged, Louboutin’s original request (while denied last summer) has moved on to the appeals court. Their burden of proof lies in showing that their federally registered trademark; Red Sole Mark is protected and is recognized as being synonymous with their brand. This is not the first time that a color has been fought over. Several instances have made their way through the court system over the years with the most recent being this summer, over Best Buy’s blue polo shirts worn by their employees. Color conflicts are not mutually exclusive to the fashion or retail worlds. Universities have also had their turn at defining and defendin...

The annual hue-of-choice made its début this past week. World renowned color authority  Pantone  named  Tangerine Tango  2012's color of the year. Pantone believes that this vivacious orange can “...provide the energy boost we need to recharge and.” Perceived more often as an autumnal choice, orange was seen on the runways of Fashion Week this year amongst other robust colors. Dubbed by Women's Wear Daily  “..as the most popular color at spring Fashion Week”, tangerine like any other color has the potential to leave the catwalks and make its way into the likes of retail sectors which include areas of industrial design. The last time orange was used with abandon, was during the late 70’s. The avocado/harvest gold/brown combinations reigned supreme in kitchens across America. Often incorporated into Formica counter tops, vinyl flooring, and matching appliances, fake as well as real wood-grain themes was the style that permeated home furnishings. ...

Dulux and UNICEF ( The United Nations Children's Fund) have partnered together in a unique fundraising website. Ownacolor.com allows the public to purchase a color to finance initiatives for the non-profit children's organization UNICEF . Users can select a color from a rainbow of hues for purchase on behalf of a friend, family member, or themselves. The site gives you the option to name the color of your choice and write a brief description of your selection. For as little as a £1 ($1.54), your donation can buy enough polio vaccines to immunize ten children. Purchases can be made via mobile phone or computer web browser. All proceeds go to aid underprivileged children around the globe.

Graphic designers frequently encounter challenges to test their abilities when communicating to the masses. Barring Twitters or print ads, the theater poster still remains a viable promotional tool for stage productions. The Tony Award winning play Red is scheduled to appear in 30 regional playhouses for 2011-2012 season. So how does a designer interpret this Broadway hit (about the Abstract Expressionist painter Mark Rothko ) in a poster for each locale? The NY Times ran a sampling of some the unique approaches used to advertise the play's opening. Designs ran the gamut from representational figures (reminiscent of Saul Bass) to pure text treatments surounded by pulsating reds. Each solution is worth checking out for their visually compelling, yet restrained statement at tackling the complex intent of an artistic vision performed by this two man ensemble.

Logos, slogans, and colors, become synonymous with a product, company, cause or sports team over time. Studies to support consumer driven responses to color are constantly being monitored by the marketplace to maximize data on current and future color trends. Because color can stand independently of words, it is capable of being recognized on its own —devoid of any reinforced logo or text. With this in mind, should an organization strive to protect their color assets through trademark? Not unlike a logo or company slogan, colors can also be protected under the umbrella of trademark. But can these measures extend to the name of a color as well? Syracuse University filed a federal trademark for the exclusive rights to the word “orange”. From the university’s perspective it was a logical move toward protecting their sports team name (which in 2004 had been edited down from “Orangemen” to simply “ Orange ”). Even though the official filing was done in 2006, several colleges have ...

Yet another company is entering the fray to cash in on branding equity by opening a hotel. The Pantone Hotel hopes to capitalize on the emotional needs of their arriving clients through color logic. Located in Brussels inside a circa 1970’s tower, each of the seven floors boast a different color scheme that will sync to the mood of the visitor upon arrival. I would imagine that the community of visual artists, interior designers and the like would possibly seek this hotel out just to satisfy their curious nature (starting a $137.00 a night). That being said, the hotel could have done a better job on their website to sell this unique experience to this demographic. Just a few photos illustrate rooms that appear to be a homage to the Bauhaus genre accompanied by stark furnishings and large wall-mounted Pantone swatches, are reminiscent of a design studio floorplan. If you are looking to book a corporate meeting, the only photos in the “meetings” category show a lone table and chair, ...

Meant to ...“bring a wave of nostalgia for its associated delicious scent reminiscent of the carefree days of spring and summer”, Pantone LLC the global authority on color has announced next year’s feature color. Honeysuckle (Pantone 18-2120) takes its name from the deciduous (sometimes evergreen) climber and or vine. About 180 species are known to exist mainly in the Northern Hemisphere with China taking the lead in being home to over 100 of them. Pantone appears to have been inspired by the reddish-pink unopened blossom of honeysuckle variety Lonicera periclymenum . Not unlike the hummingbirds that are attracted to the nectar of the flower, Pantone anticipates public reaction to be just as receptive to this hue which aspires to ...“instilling the confidence, courage and spirit to meet the exhaustive challenges that have become part of everyday life.” It will be interesting to see if this color makes its way into mainstream fashion beyond the makeup blushes, women's apparel...