Pantone’s Newest Addition to the Color Wheel

 Red is an incredibly powerful color; symbolic of passion, love, and adventure. But what if we thought of red as a symbol for equality? Pantone teamed up with the Swedish brand Intimina to do just that- promote their newest shade, Period red, as a dynamic symbol for female empowerment and equality.

The color registry, in partnership with Intimina, sparks conversation about an old taboo and barrier to women’s equality. In launching this new color, Pantone hopes to get people talking about the aspects of a women’s life that often is left unmentioned. 

Their newest shade, Period red, “emboldens people who menstruate to feel proud of who they are,” said Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute. It Is their goal to “urge everyone, regardless of gender, to feel comfortable to talk spontaneously and openly about this pure and natural bodily function.”

 Intimina, a Swedish feminine product brand, partnered with Pantone on this initiative, in an effort to normalize the conversation and minimize outdated attitudes toward the topic. On average a woman will have her period for 2,535 days, or almost 7 years,  and yet it continues to be a barrier to equality. 

In many parts of the world, women are standing up and fighting for equal rights around the topic. In India, some companies have introduced paid period leave policies. Scotland because the first country to provide free sanitary products to students in school, back in 2018 and Great Britain quickly followed suit. Here in the US, menstrual equity is a political movement with longstanding efforts to abolish the “tampon tax” or sales tax on sanitary products across the nation. 

 When Pantone made the announcement of the color on Twitter, it was met with both praise and some resistance, where some noted, “don’t think painting your walls Manchester United red is really the answer.” I see this as an opportunity to spark conversation, regardless of discomfort or uncertainty— it’s past time. 

What are your thoughts on the Color? To read more about the topic; click here!