# Annual Color Celebrations Pantone's 2021 Colors of the Year Have Been Announced By Ell Smith | Published 2020-12-10 | Marketing Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pantones-2021-colors References: [hypebae](https://hypebae.com/2020/12/pantone-color-of-the-year-illuminating-ultimate-gray-yellow-pairing) & [pantone](https://www.pantone.com/) With 2020 coming to a close, [Pantone's 2021 color selections](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/2026-colors-of-the-year) have been announced. This time, the brand opted for two colors of the year, which come together to form an aspirational pairing. 'Ultimate Grey' and 'Illuminating' are the official color choices, arriving in shades of grey and yellow respectively. 2020 has been an unpredictable year, making now a better time than ever for Pantone to disrupt the way they select their [annual colors](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pantone-colour-of-the-year). When discussing the choice, Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the [Pantone Color Institute](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pantone-color-of-the-year-2022) stated, “Practical and rock solid but at the same time warming and optimistic, this is a color combination that gives us resilience and hope." Both dependable and optimistic, these colors hope for a brighter year ahead. Image Credit: Pantone ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 5.8/10 - Popularity: 85% | Activity: 80% | Freshness: 9% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Marketing](https://www.trendhunter.com/marketing) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Dual Color Trends:** Brands can consider adopting a two-color approach to their marketing campaigns highlighting both practicality and optimism. - **Pandemic-inspired Innovations:** Other companies can take inspiration from Pantone's disruptive innovation to adapt their products and strategies in light of the pandemic. - **Color Psychology Applications:** Incorporating Pantone's color selections as part of brands' psychological tactics can provoke hopefulness and reassurance among their consumers. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Fashion Industry:** Fashion designers can incorporate the two colors into their designs and showcase a positive and hopeful image in their clothing line - **Home and Interior Industry:** Interior designers can embrace the color combination in their home décor products and offer pieces that inspire both dependability and positivity - **Marketing and Advertising Industry:** Marketing and advertising agencies can use Pantone's selections to build their creative campaigns that evoke promising and secure emotions among their target audience. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Color-Informed Hospitality Experiences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pantone-x-mandarin-oriental.md) - [Neutral Sticky Notes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/postit-x-pantone.md) - [Couture Color Palettes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pantone-dualities.md) - [Serene Furniture Collections](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/joybird-x-pantone.md) - [Color-Themed Teas](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tealeaves-x-pantone.md) - [Color-Centric Calming Fragrances](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pura-x-pantone-cloud-dancer.md) - [Color-of-the-Year NFTs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/polygon1993.md) - [Color-Focused NFT Collections](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/pantone-color-of-the-year-2022.md) - [Color-Focused Furniture Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/2026-pantone-color.md)