With days steeped in controversy, one would think that something like a color trend would be provide respite from the divisiveness. One would be wrong.

Pantone has long been the go-to brand for identifying the color of the year as an indicator of where fashion and home décor trends are leaning, with attention being paid to the culture of the moment. For 2026, Pantone announced their color of the year to be Cloud Dancer.

How the Internet Responded to Pantone’s 2026 Color of the Year

The most colorful thing about this choice is its name. Props to the folks who came up with something so elegant to indicate white. The company describes it as a billowy white. Said company seemingly fails to realize that “billowy” is a texture, not a color.

Saying white is the latest color trend is like saying the newest thing in lighting is darkness.

Didn’t science teach us that white is the absence of color?

ROYGBIV called to say, “What the translucence…?”

The internet was frenzied but funny.

• “It’s giving unseasoned chicken.”
• “Your choice is about as inspired as mayonnaise.”
• “Pantone can’t afford color this year and neither can anyone else.”
• “Really? After Labor Day?!”

Cultural Implications

In theory, the color of the year reflects the cultural moment and provides a means of navigating said moment in our living spaces. Moving past the tone deafness of the choice, if Pantone is to be believed, we all need to be surrounded by blank institutional walls and fluorescent lighting. That feels more like an asylum than an oasis, which parallels with the reactions of those who called the color “dystopian”.

To be fair, some folks were excited. Wedding planners, for one. A handful of marketers who thought, “Nobody will say ‘no’ if we pitch white.” And toilet paper manufacturers.

Other Than Pantone

It’s less common knowledge that other paint brands also select colors of the year. Dutch Boy chose Melodious Ivory. Sherwin-Williams opted for Universal Khaki. Krylon lagged behind Pantone’s color of the year last year (Mocha Mousse) by naming Matte Coffee Bean their color of the year for 2026. Benjamin Moore brought a darker mood with Silhouette (espresso meets charcoal) to the table. So, pretty much anything on the scale from “landlord white” to “dingy cave” keeps you on trend.

But at least they’re all neutrals, right?

Honestly, the Sahara Desert displays a brighter palette.

Enter Behr (not a sponsor; just a welcome unicorn).

Behr kept with colors from nature but chose to lean into the optimism there. Not a blank slate so much as a hopeful backdrop for the year. Hidden Gem (a smoky jade/blue-green hybrid) quickly and unofficially usurped Cloud Dancer on social media (at least on Threads). It was as if the platform’s users said, “Enough! We’re taking things from here.” Hidden Gem gives life, appears scholarly, adjusts to lighting, and offers an oasis among this year’s color selections. Perhaps Pantone’s time on the pedestal is coming to an end.

How Do Colors of the Year Impact the Promotional Products Industry?

In an interesting twist of reality, research shows that the colors of the year don’t impact packaging or graphic design trends like they do fashion and décor. A simple glance down the aisle of a grocery store or on the floor of a trade show reveal bold, bright colors. Imagine a direct mail piece on Cloud Dancer cardstock or a social media feed that’s primarily white. Marketing needs more oomph than Cloud Dancer can provide.

Sure. Maybe you should stock up on more white tumblers, just in case. But for brands wanting to stand out and make a name for themselves, blending in with the crowd is just a mistake. Not to mention how easily a Cloud Dancer trade show booth would get dirty. White just isn’t a practical leading color in the marketing world.