Last December, the Color Marketing Group (CMG), a nonprofit group comprised of color specialists from various industries, made its forecast for 2007 color trends. CMG bases its selection on a combination of cultural and political factors or what they call “influences.� For 2006 (announced at the end of 2005), the palette fell under the heading of “Techno-Organic.� Straddling the line between technology and nature, it hinted at a few things to come with subheadings such as “Balance,� “Breathing Space,� and “Hybrid.� For 2007, the palette shifted entirely toward nature-inspired colors as influencing everything from refrigerators and packaging to clothing and cars. CMG executive director Jaime Stephens announced the Color Contract for 2007 and said, “the mainstreaming of environmentalism is the key to next year’s colors.�
“Green� rules! – The idea of “green� means the color green, too. But look for softer, more botanical greens inspired by nature.
Blues from Nature – The color of the sky, the color of water, true blues from nature will be everywhere.
New Natural Neutrals – The newest neutrals, especially medium to dark browns, are soul-satisfying. Beiges, browns and tans will be more earthy and grounded – reflecting the colors of rock and stone and soil.
Rich, Ethnic Accents – Lighter, neutral settings will be punctuated by warmed-up accent colors from a rich mix of countries and cultures. Deep, rich ethnic reds and warm, glow-y oranges are the “punch� colors for 2007.
It will be interesting to see how various industries interpret this over the next year and if it inspires companies to make the insides of their products match the outsides. Perhaps an apple green, green Apple is on the horizon after all?
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