According to Pantone, ‘Tangerine Tango’ – also known as 17-1463m – is the colour of 2012.

In their own words: “Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy”.

Certainly the colour portrays warmth and heat. There’s also a retro glare to it which is suggestive of the decadence of  1950’s Cuba, alluding as it does to emotive stories and passionate designs. As such, it provides a solid influence upon which we can go about creating authenticity and heritage in packaging design. Take, for example, our re-design for ‘Glenfiddich 21 year old’ which was founded in our desire to portray the authenticity and passion of the Tango. Looks like we were ahead of the game on this one.

Every year, Pantone choose a colour upon which to hang its flag. This choice is usually aimed at fashion, interior design and even packaging, but just how influential that these decisions be? Let’s talk about last year’s choice:  ’Honeysuckle’.

On the basis of it’s definite retro hue, alone, this was a very fitting colour for 2011. It sparked off a series of related colours which were used in textiles and furniture design before quickly spread into other design catergories. Indeed, 2011 emerged as the year of ‘Mid-century Modern’, so the colour was reasonably well predicted. Whatever your opinion, Pantone certainly create a buzz around a certain colour, and its nice to see them using their expertise to create an impact on the design industry.

So the question is: what trends lie ahead in 2012? And have Pantone chosen the right colour for this year?

‘Tangerine Tango’ is an optimistic colour and perhaps it will help bring us out of the difficult times of 2011.­

Author: Luke Ferrand, Designer