As visual signposts go there are few as powerful as colour; a fact reflected underlined by these dark winter mornings. Colour psychology in marketing is a heavily studied and well researched space, as significant behavioural changes can be encouraged through something as simple as switching the colour of a button in an email or the writing on a billboard.

To discover the top three colours that are trending globally, Shutterstock analysed billions of pixel data from images chosen and downloaded by the platform’s community and then mapped each pixel to their closest named hex code.

The data revealed that the top three colours that have grown in popularity are; Lush Lava, Aqua Menthe and Phantom Blue. While outlining the nature of each shade, Shutterstock also detailed the impact each can have for marketers, forecasting their potential use for the year to come.

Lush Lava is a fiery orange red, a “noticeable warm colour [that] will help companies draw attention to their brand” – see for example  Monzo’s eye catching bank card for an attention-grabbing point of reference. Aqua Menthe is reminiscent of clear turquoise oceans, ideal for “conveying a playful, modern and outgoing brand personality” while the indigo-navy of Phantom Blue is “ideal for more professional, mature brand look and feel.”

The report also revealed the top trending colours in 24 countries, from the growing use of blue in the UK to moss green in South Korea and dark orchid for Brasil. Blue is significant as research shows it has a calming effect on the mind and is the colour of reason and trust, things people in the UK could do with having more of as we head into the next decade.

The top three suggest that bold, saturated hues are expected to dominate many 2020 creative campaigns, with maximalism being the focal trend. This seemingly opposes the shift in previous years towards a minimalist approach and pastel colours.

“In a visually crowded media and advertising world, standing out is both an art form and a challenge for brands. Colour is naturally a powerful tool in helping brands garner attention with their audiences in an effective and meaningful way,” said Lou Weiss, Chief Marketing Officer at Shutterstock. “As we look to 2020, the data shows a clear shift from the turbo-charged neon’s of 2019 to more elevated, bold, and saturated colours that command attention in a sophisticated way.”