Conservative Packaging Colors Shine in 2010

WRITTEN BY: Doreen Becker

AUTHOR BIO: Doreen Becker joined BASF as an R&D chemist for the effect pigments group in 1987. She is currently responsible for the market development of effect pigments in plastics. Additionally, she develops color and effect trend pallets for the global plastics and coatings markets. Doreen has delivered papers and presentations on the international level including venues such as Health & Beauty Aids Conference, Packaging Executives Society, Society for Plastics Engineers, Applied Masterbatch Industries, RAPRA, Color Marketing Group, etc. She is a member of Color Marketing Group, Industrial Design Society of America, Society of Plastics Engineers and Executive Women in Packaging.

After many years of following color trends for personal care packaging, this year’s colors stand out as distinctly somber. Last year, we saw a whole palette of powerful pastels, punctuated with diamond pinpoints that had dreamy and playful qualities. Some color trend experts state that colors become brighter in times of economic turmoil, but in 2010, brighter colors will not resonate with consumers who are in a period of financial and emotional struggle. If colors are too bright or overly optimistic, consumers might see this as an indicator of products that are out of touch with their lives. Although not all consumers are struggling in this recession, everyone is impacted and will make choices accordingly.

The most exclusive products need to be positioned in subdued palettes of woods and wools so they don’t appear as conspicuously consumptive, but are still quite elegant and refined. These colors could be accented with washes of platinum and gold, but will appear as more of a matte effect rather than sparkle or flash.

Reds and pinks dominate the personal care palettes this year as colors of giving back, fighting back and righteous anger. These could also be viewed as cautiously optimistic colors, looking toward future growth and revitalization, but the key here is to remember that these are very cautious and reserved colors.

Greens keep phasing in and out. Two years ago we saw brighter greens like bamboo or chartreuse. Last year we saw lustrous, southwestern greens almost as gold as they were green. This year, greens are still in the palette but they are more arboreal, almost brown as green is frequently paired with stone and wood shades.

Some designers feel that colors don’t change much from year to year, but if you look closely, you’ll see differences in how the colors are paired together, as well as how they are textured or finished. Colors for 2010 are not dark and depressive, but are certainly not shiny and happy. We will see an infusion of pinks and reds as well as arboreal greens that will suggest a very new and conservative growth that will flower in a subdued manner.