3 colours that will set 2022 aesthetics for advertisers to bank on

Having the right colour scheme is always important to marketers and advertisers creating campaigns to best appeal to consumers. According to Shutterstock's creative director Flo Lau, the year 2021 has been one of "reckoning with the aftermath" of the pandemic. Now brands and agencies around the world are adapting their colour palettes to soothe, and evoke stability and balance. Using AI identified colour palettes; Shutterstock 2022 Colour Trend analysed millions of image downloads and pixel data, as well as trending favorites in twenty countries around the globe. 

From the report, Shutterstock has determined that serenity is the key for marketers and advertising when choosing their colour palettes for ads or campaigns in 2022. Instead of an aggressive and "in your face" approach, the report shows that consumers are moving towards a more muted, minimalist and soft approach as compared to the previous years. "No flashy standouts, no neon highlights, nothing artificial — just simplicity and subtle elegance," said Lau. 

Using hundreds of billions of creative data points across years of digital ads, Shutterstock.AI determined that shades of green are predicted to be the most clickable color scheme for marketers and advertisers. Green is the core color associated with leading a healthy lifestyle - often included in fresh food marketing materials and to promote environmental efforts. Downloads on Shutterstock of nature scenes, where green influences the visual palette, have increased year on year, with mountain aerial shots, for example, increasing in popularity by 1,396%. According to the data, adding a touch of green into projects will improve performance of campaigns, increasing CTR and customer conversions.

Shutterstock also identified the top colours from 20 countries worldwide:

While shades of green came out first when determining the most clickable colour scheme for marketers and advertisers, as we can see from above, corals, pink and violets are also making a come back. Here are the trio of colours that will set the aesthetic for 2022: 

1. Calming coral 

Like a heavy filter over a beautiful sunset, this colour evokes a rustic, toned-down shade in comparison to some of the brighter, cleaner shades in the past. According to Shutterstock, this colour can be used for depicting health and happiness. It also plays especially well with other colours such as dusty yellows and pinks for a nostalgic tint in design work. For creatives who are looking comforting and natural palette, Shutterstock recommends contrasting it with colours such as sky blue. 

2. Velvet violet 

The boldest colour in the report, velvet violet is a vibrant shade of purple with pink undertones, reminiscent of the lasting luxury and elegance of the royal orchid. While some tones of purple tend to stand out, this shade of purple draws attention without feeling ostentatious, said Shutterstock. In fact, it is a natural complement to a contrasting shade of green such as the colour emerald. 

3. Pacific Pink 

While the colour hot pink might be a favourite among marketers and advertisers, Shutterstock has predicted another tone of pink that is picking up steam. A perfect mix of vitality and tranquillity, this cotton candy pink is quickly becoming one of the favourite colours for creatives. While the colour hot pink can be eye-catching or popping, it does not mix well with other pink and peachy tones. Whereas for the cotton candy pink, creatives are able to mix it with the colour light teal to evoke a different mood, said Shutterstock. 

Join ourDigital Marketing Asia conference happening from 9 November 2021 - 25 November 2021 to learn about the upcoming trends and technologies in the world of digital. Check out the agenda here. 

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