KINGSTON, R.I. – Jan. 22, 2025 – If someone mentions chocolate mousse, most people imagine a brownish pudding sitting in a martini glass. Some may even envision the pudding with chocolate shavings, a raspberry, and whipped cream.

However, in 2025, thanks to Pantone, a new interpretation of that familiar hue will emerge.  Pantone’s color of the year is not chocolate mousse, but rather Mocha Mousse (Pantone 17-1230). Pantone started this annual tradition 26 years ago. Other companies, like Benjamin Moore and the Color Marketing Group, have since followed suit but Pantone is arguably the most famous.

Pantone describes Mocha Mousse as, “a warming, brown hue imbued with richness. It nurtures us with its suggestion of delectable qualities of chocolate and coffee.”

Many companies and industries take advantage of Pantone’s yearly color crowning. Brands will often react by promoting existing products that don’t exactly match Mocha Mousse but are very close in color or by releasing new color lines in this specific color. From fashion to home décor and makeup to Stanley mugs, Mocha Mousse is poised to make its mark. Pantone’s website features a variety of products in Mocha Mousse colors, such as palette booklets, mugs, and keychains.

“Some brands specifically partner with Pantone, such as IPSY, WIX studio, pura, and Motorola, while others will promote their color-matched products in unofficial ways or even use this as an opportunity to highlight a different color, like Mazda’s tongue-in-cheek nod to their terracotta interiors,” said Lauren Labrecque, a professor of marketing in the College of Business at the University of Rhode Island. “A lot of interior designers will integrate the color in their design palette, and many influencers will often use the color more so across their social media channels to be on trend.”

Picking the color of the year however, isn’t easy or transparent. A group of industry experts analyze cultural and fashion trends to select a color.

Labrecque raises one important note: Finding the color is akin to a “chicken and egg” dilemma. The question is, are experts observing culture and fashion trends and then choosing the color; or are companies like Pantone setting the color and then the market is influenced into utilizing that color?

Either way, Labrecque says, “A lot of brands and a lot of marketers will use it to reinforce the color of the year trend — either through their products or through their marketing and communications.”

Though Pantone has been releasing its color of the year for more than two decades, Labrecque argues its rise in popularity shows the influence social media and influencers can have when it comes to purchasing power and the economy. As she points out, consumers are increasingly driven by the desire to stay on top of what’s new.

Though this year’s color is considered a warm brown, similar to chocolate milk, Labrecque’s research shows that a majority of consumers have a different favorite color. In a typical survey, the numbers show that anywhere between 60% to 80% of people say their favorite color is blue, or some variation of blue/green.

Labrecque said that she doesn’t yet have research on whether Pantone’s annual color of the year has had a significant impact on retail sales.

“I don’t think most companies release that data,” said Labrecque, though she notes they likely have plenty of internal reporting, and the fact that the trend is growing points to its success.

But for Labrecque, her favorite color of the year is from 2022 — “Veri Peri,” a periwinkle blue.

You can learn more about Pantone’s color of the year, by clicking here: www.pantone.com/color-of-the-year/2025