Colour of the Year 2025 and the impact of colour in marketing
Colour plays a significant role in marketing, not only conveying emotions and messages, but also shaping perceptions of brands.
Each year, Pantone's Color of the Year selection inspires designers, marketers and businesses around the world with a new hue that will dictate trends for the next 12 months.
For 2025, this symbolic choice is Mocha Mousse - a warm, natural brown shade that combines stability, comfort and elegance.
In this article, you'll learn more about choosing a "Color of the Year," the symbolism of how to use Mocha Mousse effectively in online marketing, and what color psychology says about different colors.
What is "Colour of the Year"?
Raptope is an American company best known for its Pantone Matching System (PMS), a colour organisation system used in a variety of industries. The idea is that professionals (designers, architects, etc.) can match colors with precision when creating their products.
Each year Pantone selects one colour that reflects current global trends, cultural changes and the emotional mood of society. This choice is not random - it is the result of in-depth analysis of fashion, art, technology and social change.
Colour of the Year 2025: Mocha Mousse
Pantone's experts follow global events, innovations and trends to choose a colour that symbolises the zeitgeist.
For 2025, the shade PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse was chosen for its ability to create a sense of stability, comfort, aesthetics and harmony.
It's a warm, earthy brown that creates an association with coffee and chocolate and so brings a feeling of comfort and reliability. It combines elegance and a connection with nature, making it suitable for a variety of industries.
What does the color brown symbolize in marketing?
Brown, including shades like "Mocha Mousse," has specific psychological associations that make it a valuable tool for communicating with consumers.
Brands that use brown in their branding include UPS, M&Ms, Hershey's, Ben & Jerry's, Galaxy, Häagen-Dazs, Magnum and other chocolate and coffee brands, Molton Brown, Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Burberry.
What does Mocha Mousse symbolize?
- Nature: brown is associated with natural materials such as wood and soil, which reinforces the feeling of authenticity and sustainability.
- Stability: symbolizes stability, security and reliability, making it suitable for brands that want to convey a sense of durability.
- Luxury and comfort: warmer brown shades create a feeling of comfort and elegance that is ideal for premium products.
Emotions associated with the color of the year 2025 "Mocha Mousse":
- Security: a colour that inspires confidence and calm.
- Reliability: expresses stability and commitment to quality.
- Warmth: Induces a feeling of comfort and connectedness.
How are colours perceived in different cultures?
Colours have different associations in different cultures, which is important to keep in mind for global marketing campaigns.
- Western culture: brown is often associated with comfort, tradition and earthiness.
- Eastern culture: In some Asian countries, brown symbolizes simplicity and a deep connection to nature.
- Scandinavian design: earthy tones such as "Mocha Mousse" are favoured for their connection to simple and functional minimalism.
But why is all this important and what is the relationship between colours and marketing campaigns anyway?
The psychology of colour in marketing: How do colours influence consumers?
Color psychology is the science that studies how different shades affect emotions and decisions. This happens as a result of a combination of biological, cultural and personality factors.
Different colours, tones and shades create different associations that influence our mood and decision-making process.
Basic principles in color psychology:
- Emotional impact: colours evoke feelings such as confidence, joy or energy. For example, warm colors (red, yellow) stimulate activity, while cool colors (blue, green) inspire calm.
- Associations: Brown and earthy shades, like Mocha Mousse, are often associated with nature, stability and authenticity.
- Consumer behaviour: research shows that 90% of consumer purchase decisions are based on visual perception of products, including colour.
Examples of colour impact:
🔴 Red
Energy, excitement, a sense of urgency, action, power, passion, danger and...Christmas.
🔵 Blue - everyone's favourite colour.
Confidence, stability, calm, depth, peace, strength, wisdom.
🟣 Purple
Royal colour, luxury, romance, richness, decadence, introspection, serenity.
🟠 Orange
Confidence, creativity, courage, association with the sun, playfulness, friendliness, warmth, enthusiasm.
🟢 Green
Youth, vitality, strength, nature, growth, stability, life, relaxation, hope, freshness.
🟡 Yellow
Happiness, optimism, warning, joy, originality, enthusiasm, youth.
⚫️ Black
Refinement, elegance, strength, luxury.
⚪️ White
Modernity, purity, innocence.
🟤 Brown
Earthiness, authenticity and luxury.
What is the influence of colours in marketing?
Colours have the ability to evoke emotions and influence buying decisions. They create the first impression of your brand and play a key role in its identity.
👉 That's why it's important to choose a color that matches your business goals and the perceptions of your target audience.
Colours create the first impression and are often the first tool to communicate with your audience.
💡 When choosing a color for your brand:
- First think about what emotion you want to evoke.
- Be consistent in your branding.
- Create a palette of complementary colours.
- Don't forget about the cultural context.
Colour of the Year 2025 in your marketing strategies: an application of colour psychology
When you integrate "Mocha Mousse" into your marketing strategy, color psychology can help you achieve specific goals:
⭐️ Increase trust in your brand
The colour creates a feeling of security and reliability. Include it in logos, landing pages or promotional materials to show the stability and professionalism of your business.
⭐️ Creating an emotional connection
"Mocha Mousse" helps you build a warm and emotional connection with your audience. This makes it suitable for ads that tell stories or promote sustainable products.
⭐️ Improving visual impact
The combination of brown with contrasting or complementary colours creates a striking visual effect. Use it to create eye-catching banners or videos.
The impact of "Mocha Mousse" in various industries
✨ Cosmetics and skin care
Colours such as "Mocha Mousse" are suitable for cosmetic products because they convey a sense of naturalness and quality. They are associated with organic ingredients and sustainable production.
✨ Food industry
In advertisements for chocolate, coffee or natural products, brown shades inspire appetite and confidence. They create associations with richness and authenticity.
✨ Technology
Tech brands can use "Mocha Mousse" to create a visual balance between the modern and the human. It helps soften the cold feeling that often accompanies tech products.
✨ Luxury brands
"Mocha Mousse" is an excellent choice for premium brands because it conveys refinement, comfort and stability.
Mix and match "Mocha Mousse" with other colors
"Mocha Mousse" is an extremely versatile colour that combines well with different shades depending on the message you want to convey:
- For a natural feel:
- Sandy beige.
- Green shades (olive green, light mossy green).
- Creamy white.
- For elegance and luxury:
- Dark gold.
- Champagne.
- Black.
- For contrast and dynamics:
- Mustard yellow.
- Matt Turquoise.
- Bordeaux.
How to use "Mocha Mousse" in your online marketing?
Integrating "Mocha Mousse" into marketing strategies can make your brand more appealing and contemporary in the eyes of consumers. Here are a few specific application ideas:
1. Website design
"Mocha Mousse" is an excellent choice for backgrounds, accents or website headers because it creates a feeling of comfort and professionalism.
- Background: use it as a neutral background that won't irritate the eye and will highlight the content.
- Buttons and accents: Focal elements such as CTA buttons can be highlighted with lighter or contrasting shades.
2. Video marketing
Include "Mocha Mousse" in the visual elements of your video ads:
- Backgrounds: adds elegance and enhances the professional look.
- Product demonstrations: if you sell natural or luxury products, colour will reinforce the message.
3. Advertising campaigns
"Mocha Mousse" is ideal for creating emotional advertising messages, especially for:
- Brands in the fashion industry: it embodies classic elegance and sophistication.
- Cosmetics and skin care: creates a feeling of naturalness and confidence.
- Technological products: contrasts technological minimalism with warmth and comfort.
4. Email Marketing
- Use color for the backgrounds of your email templates.
- Highlight special offers or important messages with contrasting colors.
5. Publications in social networks
- In Instagram and Facebook posts, color will create harmony and make your content stand out.
- Include "Mocha Mousse" in the frames, backgrounds and graphics of your posts.
"Mocha Mousse", the colour of the year for 2025, is not only a symbol of stability and comfort, but also a powerful marketing tool. Its warmth and versatility make it ideal for a variety of industries and applications.
Integrate this colour into your online campaigns to show relevance, style and commitment to global trends and to convey a specific message.