BASF forecasts emergence of rich and natural colours in Asia Pacific

Pune, January 14, 2013: BASF has announced its global and Asia Pacific colour trends forecast for the coming two to three years. The theme of the latest forecast -- ‘Wide Awake’ -- indicates that people are fully alert to the challenges of the future.

As per the BASF forecast, a spate of natural disasters and a market slowdown due to global economic uncertainties has given people in the Asia-Pacific region an opportunity to pause and think about what is truly important to them. They are finding comfort in the scents of their homeland and are focusing on colors and designs that project the unique qualities of their cultures and nations. As such there will be an emergence of refined, rich colours with a wide range of red, gold-based colours, as well as colours of nature, such as brown and olive.

Colours used in the automotive industry also strongly reflect the socio-economic sentiments in the region. While neutral colours such as black, silver, gray, white remain the order of the day, hues with green-colour influence are starting to emerge. Brown will continue to be popular too. In fast-developing Asian countries, the preference for more nature-related colors such as browns and greens suggests that people are gradually leaning towards a more leisure-oriented urban lifestyle, as opposed to focusing entirely on luxury. “We are going to see more typically Asian colours used in vehicles in the region,” said Chiharu Matsuhara, chief colour designer, Color Design Center Asia Pacific, BASF Japan Ltd. “The emerging sentiment is to value our origins and show our own style instead of being led by other foreign cultures and preferences,” Matsuhara explained.

Indian preferences

In India, the rising number of women and younger car owners is going to impact future automotive colour trends. These up-and-coming car owners are more style-conscious and the colour of their cars will be a statement of their personal taste. “BASF’s colour trend forecast is highly valued by our customers, the car manufacturers. The information is helpful to their design and production planning,” said Christophe Cazabeau, chief executive, Coatings Solutions, BASF India. “When we develop new coatings solutions for customers, we combine our colour design and take into consideration the popular colours and trends,” Cazabeau added.

For motorcycles – a popular means of transportation in Asia-Pacific – colour preferences vary more, according to local cultures and use. Among motorcycles for family use, conservative and luxurious colours like pearl white, black and silver remain popular. In addition to neutral colours, motorcycles for personal use also feature a kaleidoscope of bright colours to reflect individual style.

Global Color Trends

As regards global colour trends, the BASF study says tranquil colours and natural tone colours will become the mainstream – for example, those based on green, blue-green and olive-grey. Brown continues to be popular worldwide, and green-based colours are expanding.

Photograph: Chiharu Matsuhara, chief colour designer, Color Design Center Asia Pacific, BASF Japan, showcasing the BASF colour trends forecast along with Christophe Cazabeau, Coatings business head, India.