From the red family comes Viva Magenta, a colour inspired by the cochineal natural dye – one of the world’s strongest and brightest – and Pantone’s pick for the year ahead.

Ever since Pantone chose Cerulean Blue to mark the turn of the millennium – the same exact shade as Andy’s sweater, Devil Wears Prada lovers everywhere can rejoice – the annual colour selection has become a prominent event in the end-of-year stretch of round-ups and predictions. This year, Pantone’s “macro-level colour trend forecasting and research” has landed on Viva Magenta 18-1750 as the colour that will define 2023. To accompany the announcement and mirror the digital origins of Viva Magenta, Huge has created a series of visuals and Magentaverse experience. The colour, in the words of Pantone, is: “Brave and fearless, a pulsating colour whose exuberance promotes a joyous and optimistic celebration, writing a new narrative”.

If that doesn’t give you enough of an idea, Viva Magenta is an “animated red”. More specifically, it’s inspired by the red cochineal, one of the most precious dyes in the natural dye family and also one of the strongest and brightest. This natural aspect is one of the major focal points of Pantone this year. Just as 2022’s “transformative” Very Peri touched on trends of the Metaverse and gaming, Viva Magenta responds to the same landscape.

Leatrice Eiseman, executive director at Pantone Color Institute, states: “In this age of technology, we look to draw inspiration from nature and what is real. Rooted in the primordial, Pantone 18-1750 Viva Magenta reconnects us to original matter. Invoking the forces of nature, Pantone 18-1750 Viva Magenta galvanizes our spirit, helping us to build our inner strength.”

Leatrice Eiseman, executive director at Pantone Color Institute, states: “In this age of technology, we look to draw inspiration from nature and what is real. Rooted in the primordial, Pantone 18-1750 Viva Magenta reconnects us to original matter. Invoking the forces of nature, Pantone 18-1750 Viva Magenta galvanizes our spirit, helping us to build our inner strength.”

In an interview with Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute, Pantone has also revealed how it chooses its Colour of the Year. “The Pantone Color of the Year selection process entails thoughtful consideration and trend analysis. It is a culmination of the macro-level colour trend forecasting and research that the global team involved with the Pantone Color Institute conducts year-round that informs this selection, as well as the colours that get included into our colour trend forecasting products.”

The vice president also lists the kinds of areas of culture that can influence the selection – “entertainment industry and films in production, travelling art collections and new artists, fashion, all areas of design”, as well as “new technologies, materials, textures and effects”.