Imagine life without colours! This would have been monotonous and boring. Colours bring excitement and add aesthetics to life. “The purest and most thoughtful minds are those who love colour the most,” according to John Huskin.
It is in line with the foregoing that Dulux, the global thought leader brand in paints and coatings from the stable of AkzoNobel – the world’s largest paints and coatings company, came up with the novel idea of Colour of the Year in which a particular colour scheme is designated as the colour for the year.
To choose a Colour of the Year, AkzoNobel usually convenes a meeting of colour experts usually drawn from diverse field of endeavour – architecture, fashion and arts – from different parts of the world to deliberate, brainstorm and agree on a colour that will set the tone for the coming year.
Chemical and Allied Products (CAP) plc, a subsidiary of UAC of Nigeria plc and the technological licensee of AkzoNobel and manufacturer of Dulux premium paint in Nigeria, recently unveiled ‘TEAL’ as the 2014 Dulux Colour of the Year with the theme ‘Unlocking Potentials.’
TEAL is a low-saturated colour, a bluish-green to dark medium, similar to medium blue-green and dark cyan. It can be created by mixing green with blue into a white base, or deepened as needed with a little bit of black or gray colour.
TEAL combines the natural harmony of green with the tranquility of blue. The 2014 Dulux Colour of the Year has a gentle character and is a favourite in the world of design. Teal has a subdued richness which is often used to describe tropical seas of shimmering bluish green.
Teal is surprisingly versatile and works well in different colour combinations. The colour works beautifully with delicate pinkish tones and warm ochre yellow. It can also be combined with other tones of teal, green or blue to create a tone-on-tone effect. Layering teal with indigo or denim provides oceanic, cool, dynamic and welcoming feelings.
Speaking at the event, Larry Ettah, group managing director, UAC of Nigeria plc, disclosed that the theme of the 2014 Dulux Colour of the Year, ‘Unlocking Potentials’ was interesting and resonated with the times.
“We live in a time of great change. By taking a look at what we have, we can unlock the potentials that surround us and by so doing, our destinies. These opportunities apply to businesses as well as individuals,’’ he said.
The 2014 Colour of the Year portrays the mood of unlocking the ideas, the dreams and the passions within us, Ettah noted, saying the colour was unanimously picked by colour experts as the social, economic and design pulse in 2014. He then urged everyone to embrace whole-heartedly this year’s global mood, which is epitomised by the colour – TEAL. “The 2014 Dulux Colour of the year is a very symbolic and inspiring colour; it is a very unique and vibrant colour that can inspire and propel individuals to unlock their potentials. TEAL is a colour that can spark the innermost creative intuitions,” he added.
Also speaking at the occasion, Omolara Elemide, managing director of CAP plc, said the 2014 Dulux Colour of the Year event was unique, not only for its emotional appeal but also for the unveiling of the new Livery Dulux (New Packaging Design).
“The new livery (Packaging Design) for Dulux paints is a customer-friendly, appealing and attractive packaging that truly represents the elegance and class; this is a true reflection of the premium quality of Dulux paint and reinforces its leadership position in the category,’’ she said.
She announced that CAP’s eco-friendly disposition paid off again in 2013 with the award of ISO 14001:2004 Certification to the company by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON). The Managing Director added that the prestigious award would further propel the company to passionately strive to surpass its current standard.
Elemide stressed that TEAL is a colour that will inspire greatness and spark the can-do attitude towards unlocking potentials. She then urged the customers and members of the public to take advantage of over 12,000 Dulux Colours available to them to make their lives – homes/offices – more colourful and interesting as they strove to unlock their potentials and realise their dreams.
The unveiling of TEAL marks the eighth edition of the Dulux Colour of the Year by CAP. It would be recalled that Indigo Night was named the colour of the year for 2013. Other colours that have been unveiled since 2006 are 2006 –Kiwi Crush; 2007 – Candy Love; 2008 – Majestic Yellow; 2009 – Cool Jade; 2010 – Jazz Blue; 2011—Citrus Yellow and Tea Dance for 2012
Daniel Obi
