Analysis: Will Pantone’s Color of the Year Affect Broadcast Design?

Pantone’s choice for color of the year 2023 has ties to colors often used in television news graphics, though it may ultimately be better suited to lifestyle and entertainment looks.

Viva Magenta (PMS 18-1750) is part of the red family – although it leans a bit more towards, depending on who you talk to, the blue or purple part of the spectrum.

As Pantone says, the shade “vibrates with vigor and vigor.” It is also meant to represent hope for humanity after several difficult years.

“Viva Magenta is brave and fearless, and a thrilling color whose exuberance fosters joyous and optimistic celebration, writing a new narrative,” perhaps a nod to what is hopefully an optimistic outlook after several difficult years.

The 2020 color of the year, announced before COVID-19 became a pandemic, was classic blue (PMS 19-4052), a color seen in many news graphics packages and other broadcast designs. .

For 2021, Pantone seemed somewhat optimistic with a yellow called “Illuminating” (PMS 13-0467) but paired it with Ultimate Gray (PMS 17-5104) which gave a starkly contrasting look. The color of 2022 was “Very Peri” (PMS 17-3938), a periwinkle purple that was starting to feel more upbeat.

Pantone’s picks for color of the year since 2021 had mostly had limited application in broadcast design graphics, simply because many wouldn’t play well on TV screens or were simply outside the box of comfort of what many viewers expect from television graphics.

Of course, Pantone’s choice was never meant specifically for broadcast design – it’s more of a message about color and design trends combined with the emotions and feelings the shades evoke. That said, designers of all types are still noticing Pantone’s choice and can start exploring ways to use it more, especially if it becomes mainstream.

Viva Magenta is close to red, which is a common color in broadcast design for breaking news or anything needed to provide a sense of urgency.

Its general hue, however, tends to feel more friendly than urgent, meaning it may ultimately be better suited to key art, insert graphics, and opening lifestyle shows, talk shows and other productions that offer lighter fares.

It might, however, be a slightly less tame way of drawing attention to breaking news or new information in these types of programs or, perhaps, even in morning news shows, where paddles tend to be softer.

Viva Magenta also bears many similarities to what are commonly referred to as “Flat UI” colors. Although there is no set color group, these colors tend to be brighter, cooler, and slightly unique over the various common colors used in design. They are usually available in a series of lighter and darker shades so designers can choose from a range of similar colors when subtle or obvious contrast is needed.=

A notable show that has ventured into the Viva Magenta realm is “Access Hollywood,” which uses a similar hue in its logo when it was redesigned in 2019. It was also used in the show’s graphics package for a while. some time, as well as various shades of teal, though recent updates have made the series look more orange-red.

“Access” also used a collection of shades that could be considered similar to “flat” colors, including its unique take on black-gray for its logo.

More recently, new talker “The Jennifer Hudson Show” incorporates some hints of magenta into her look, including some of her on-set accent pillows, though it’s also mixed with purples, reds, oranges. and golds.

There are also hints of magenta in NewsNation’s “Morning in America” ​​charts, especially the opener.

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The show largely uses red, blue, and yellow as its primary color palette, but also adds the element of gradients, which means magenta-like undertones appear throughout.

Pantone also introduced what it called the “Magentaverse” (presumably a play on the term “metaverse”) a total of eight colors that are designed to complement hue while talking about color trends. These are all what most would consider pastels – lighter, muted shades that are presumably intended not to complement the brightness of Viva Magenta.

These could perhaps be incorporated into exposure apertures and other full screens as secondary colors, especially since they are subtle and allow designers to incorporate a member of several families of colors in a look that coordinates with magenta.

That said, it’s easy to see how using a color from the magenta family could be a big creative risk that a designer might not want to take. It’s definitely a non-traditional color of news graphics and even non-news looks. The accompanying shades are also unusual for TV, but it’s also possible that a talented designer could make the look work with the right show, creative direction and use of color.