A Color Heaven

Three weeks ago, I presented a seminar about color in Bermuda. I’ll admit that I’m quite spoiled by living in the color paradise of Hawaii. I’m not easily swept off my feet, but the colors of Bermuda - everything from sand to architecture - were stunning and classy, at that.

Real men wear pink - pink shirts and even pink shorts. In fact the logo on the airport terminal is a pair of pink Bermuda shorts. Aside from wearing apparel, many of the beaches are pink and so are the homes and many of the commercial buildings.

Buildings are also painted shades of blue that melt into the sky; others are lemony tints or startling salmon oranges. In fact, the buildings are every color of the spectrum - and every shade of pink.

I wonder why we tend to be so color-phobic about architecture in the U.S.? Even in tropical places like Hawaii, it’s mostly a sea of grey or beige pablum. Traditionally (and historically), the closer you get to the sea, the more colorful the buildings. It’s time for a change!

Monkey Butt Red?

It’s the new red … and it’s the color Toyota chose for the FT-86 sports car. Yes, it really is the red color of a Japanese monkey’s backside and if you can pronounce it, it’s “shoujyouhi” red.

Just when we’re getting used to a new genre of creative – but not always descriptive - color terms, such as "Fiji Weegee Fawn" for nail polish, "Freedom Trail" for paint, and "Peter Pan" for candles, Toyota's reference point for this new hue is beyond bizarre.

Apparently Toyota's lineup of cars has been criticized for lack of excitement. They say that this concept will put the passion back. (???) Not in my garage.

As cheeky as it may seem, I don’t think you can un-ring this bell. Any potential buyer who has seen “that red” on a monkey’s anatomy, will never invest in a sports car in this new red.

What do you think? Maybe it’s just my jet lag from a brief trip to Bermuda – the land of pink – and a place that’s truly a a color heaven. (And that's the next topic at the Color Matters blog.)

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