With the recent announcement of Pantone's color of the year, we're all feeling warm and fuzzy. That is exactly what Pantone intends, as they selected the the soft, pinkish-orange hue that evokes feelings of warmth, calm and comfort and calls us to "Embrace the Warmth". The color wraps audiences in a velvety cocooned warmth that feels almost like a gentle hug.
In a year where we can expect a tumultuous election season, multiple international conflicts, rising prices and falling wages; audiences hunger for the nostalgia they felt in childhood where their responsibilities were limited. Voters in the United States are experiencing an overwhelming cognitive load with the primaries well underway and each candidate stooping to new lows to get more attention, more clicks and more donations than their opponent. Not to mention the fact that many of the freedoms voters took for granted are at risk (reproductive freedom) and the large and growing pile of evidence that strict voter ID laws disproportionately impact voters of color.
In short, we're going through it. Social change organizations still need to find ways to cut through the noise and get their message out to donors and supporters and advance their missions. Several organizations have rebranded and modernized their visual style. NAACP's new bold and colorful appearance evokes a sense of movement, extremely fitting for an organization that builds Black political power to end structural racism.
National Audubon Society has also updated their image (not the name), choosing to place even more emphasis on their incredible image library. They've also chosen to utilize textures in a new and quite interesting way.
As a creative director, my prediction is that we see even more organizations updating their visual branding in the coming year. Given what I've been calling a "dogfight of an election season" and the turmoil taking place all over the world, brands will look for any way to stand out. Embracing a calm tone that does not center the election but places in the context of their message will be the most successful way to maintain donor bases and attract new ones. While every day we receive more and more alarming news, I look forward to how brands will convey a sense of gentle and positive authority to help guide donors and educate voters ahead of a hectic presidential election where it seems everything is on the line.
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