The color yellow seems to be a conflicting color. It's a warning sign in the wild when combined with black. In Japan, it's a symbol of bravery, whereas, in Russia, it's used to describe a mental institution. But it also symbolizes spring's cheerful arrival and the sun's return in some parts of the world.
Generally, it symbolizes youth and happiness. It represents optimism and gaiety. It is a little obvious why generation Z would pick this color as their own. It syncs with the values and the essence of this generation born between 1997 to 2012.
After the silent generation, colors have been a distinguishing element from one generation to the next. Colors usually show the emotions of an era and its events. It is connected to the needs of the people at the time and their social and economic environment.
The baby boomers had apparent love for reservation, evident in their beige and neutral colors. Generation X took it a notch higher with their appreciation for nature and all its bright colors. It is not a color that has had significant popularity growth in recent years, at least not in comparison to the other hues in the rainbow.
As a result of pink's skyrocketing popularity for the past several years, the color has had something of a renaissance and even acquired a new moniker: millennial pink. Also, a few years ago, Blue was involved a bit; it was not nearly as interesting for social media as the color yellow.
The hues may slightly change from one year to the next and even a decade, but the motive is the same; a color is a form of expression for a generation.
Gen Z yellow came as a complete haul. This sunny yellow, ranging from fluorescent to canary yellow, stopped the tracks of the mildly metamorphosed hues that have been the case with the previous generations. They are quick to spot too. They circulated fast, thanks to social media and the enormous visual access.
The Representation
Colors for this generation are viewed as symbols of solidarity that unite and help them express themselves without many texts. The color yellow for Gen Z represents hope for the future, hoping not to repeat their ancestors' financial mistakes. It represents liberation, optimism, and a desire for change.
For Generation Z, the actions of the millennials have helped solve some basic issues like gender and the battle of morals. This makes it easy for them to direct their focus on secondary concerns; the government and the economy, expression, and activism. This color displays these emotions fearlessly, contrasting with the older generations' subtle expressions.
Being heard and seen
These colors and their symbol is not taken lightly. They are making a statement everywhere; urban television, music videos, fashion, entertainment, and even sporting events.
It has also permeated the commerce world, influencing marketing messages, product packaging, and fashion trends because marketers understand the importance of generations' colors and adapt marketing projects to them. For example, Terra Verde honey is a honey-producing Brazilian company that adopted the color yellow in its product branding. It has confirmed that they went from people selling nice honey to a brand people identify with and have a good perception of.
Although now the Gen Z yellow is slowly leaving the store shelves and runways. The next big color? Gen Z peri purple!
Millennial pink was predicted to be popular in 2022 by less than 5% of designers due to the dominance of bright colors like yellow and purple. Most believe the millennial pink's softness is simply developing into a brilliant color, similar to Orchid Flower and the peri purple. The pandemic has accelerated this transition.
Purple is connected to spirituality and mysticism, which fits Gen Z's enthusiasm for astrology and social justice. Given our generation's interconnectedness, it's natural that we would land in a "softer" place after everything the world has been through.