“You can’t solve a problem if you don’t know it exists. In our busy world, important local social issues can often go unnoticed,” says nonprofit organization United Way, which has collaborated with the Pantone Color Institute to develop a new color designed to highlight social issues including poverty, youth unemployment, domestic violence, hunger, education inequality, homelessness, and mental health.
The hue, a strikingly bright shade of orange hue dubbed “Unignorable,” will debut at Toronto’s Nuit Blanche on September 29 backdropped by an immersive, interactive art installation designed to “emulate the feelings of isolation, helplessness and uncertainty that millions of Canadians experience,” according to the release. Visitors are encouraged to share their experience on social media using “#unignorable”.
“To highlight these issues, we wanted to create a distinctive color that was virtually unignorable; a color whose ‘can’t miss” high visibility immediately stops you in your tracks,’ says Laurie Pressman, vice president at the Pantone Color Institute.
“Displaying a radiant glow that instantly mesmerizes, this irresistibly captivating coral shade we call ‘unignorable’ stands out from its surroundings, draws immediate attention and with its high physicality, induces us to act,” she says.
