Generational Changes, Environmental Concerns, and a New Digital Universe Expected to Drive Color Preferences in 2023

December 7, 2021

Caption: Avient today released ColorForward™ 2023, the 17th edition of the annual color forecasting guide for the plastics industry created by its ColorWorks™ team.
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MILAN – December 7, 2021 – Avient Corporation today announced the release of ColorForward™ 2023, the 17th edition of the annual color forecasting guide for the plastics industry created by its ColorWorks™ team. 

As it has for almost two decades, a group of color and social trend experts from around the world convened for five days to identify four global trends that can be expected to influence consumers’ response to color over the next few years. The team assigned five colors and/or color effects to represent key elements of each trend for a total of 20 trend-based colors. The result is a unique package of inspirational materials to help plastic product designers and marketing professionals make more informed color choices for new products and packaging.

The lingering influence of the COVID 19 pandemic is seen in Mare Tranquillitatis, a trend that notes increasing awareness and concern about mental health, along with its care and treatment. The colors in this palette are mostly cool, transparent, and in a couple of cases, fluorescent, plus a random splash effect to represent growing acceptance of the medical use of certain psychoactive substances.

The Code Blue theme is not so much about the color itself, but rather the hospital alarm message indicating an extreme emergency – in this case, the planet is the patient in climate crisis. Here the colors are earthy, but appropriately toned down, dark and somewhat dirty to reflect the anxiety many people are experiencing. 

Those fears are particularly acute among younger generations, but these are also the people who are pushing for action not just on climate but on a whole range of issues that will shape the future. This trend, named CatalyƧt (the backward ‘S’ is a reference to Generation Z, the group just now coming of age), is represented by a palette of mostly bright, hopeful, but also serious colors. 

The most eclectic family of colors, including transparent, metallic, interferential, and special effects, is assigned to Meet-your-verse, a trend that recognizes the emerging influence of “The Metaverse.” Forecast to be as important an innovation as the internet, it promises to open up a whole new world that accommodates different means of human interaction as well as a potential escape from reality. 

Avient offers ColorForward seminars at its four ColorWorks design and technology centers around the world, as well as at selected conferences and customer sites. Those interested in learning more about collaborating with ColorWorks can do so by visiting https://www.avient.com/avient-colorworks.

About Avient

Avient Corporation (NYSE: AVNT), with expected 2021 revenues of $4.75 billion, provides specialized and sustainable material solutions that transform customer challenges into opportunities, bringing new products to life for a better world. Examples include:

• Unique technologies that improve the recyclability of products and enable recycled content to be incorporated, thus advancing a more circular economy
• Light-weighting solutions that replace heavier traditional materials like metal, glass and wood, which can improve fuel efficiency in all modes of transportation and reduce carbon footprint
• Sustainable infrastructure solutions that increase energy efficiency, renewable energy, natural resource conservation and fiber optic / 5G network accessibility

Avient employs approximately 8,400 associates and is certified ACC Responsible Care®, a founding member of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste and certified Great Place to Work®.  For more information, visit www.avient.com.

To access Avient's news library online, please visit www.avient.com/news.

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Media contact
Michelle Maniscalco
Senior Manager, Marketing Communications
Avient Corporation
michelle.maniscalco@avient.com