Why the future looks blue in Asia

BASF has released its new trend collection for automotive colours. Called RAW, which stands for ‘Real Authentic Ways’, the title aims to convey the designers’ expectation to do more than create new colours. The designers at BASF’s Coatings division set out to design the ‘right’ colours – colours that get down to business. The 2015-2016 Coatings Color Collection features unadorned and distinctive colour concepts with character. "The trend of continually challenging the consumeristic attitudes and the search for alternatives is also making itself felt on a global level in the world of colours,” said Astrid Van der Auwera, Global Strategic Marketing at BASF Coatings.

The RAW colour collection demonstrates how the call for identity rather than more marketing can be implemented in automotive colours in the future. For instance, in the coming years, colours will employ striking textures to shape cars’ character and support and accentuate geometries. They will give surfaces a more haptic appearance, either literally, by means of new concepts that use a perceptibly rough coating or visually, owing to the coarse granulation of the pigments.

Technoid colours are characterising the global trend

Digital technologies are drastically changing our consumption and living habits. In the future, the Internet of Things will cause us to engage in dialogue with our surroundings at all times. This interactivity is an important criterion for designing colours, which is manifesting itself in particular in the blue spectrum.

Colour trends in Asia Pacific

People in Asia Pacific are focusing on living in the moment.

They live to pursue satisfaction, search for a sense of identity and at the same time protect their own cultural essence and re-interpret things through new experiences and knowledge. "Design from Asia is gaining significance in the global market. You can find unique design concepts from this region reflecting both the traditional and local identity infused with the characteristics of the contemporary topics, such as ecology and urbanisation,” explained Chiharu Matsuhara, Chief Color Designer at BASF’s Coatings division in Asia Pacific.

Asian consumers celebrate local uniqueness and its distinguishing features to display their positive and assertive mind-set. Vivid orange and strong deep purple are therefore the colours reflecting their attitude and self-confidence when they pick their cars. Variations of blue, like intense blue, are also well suited for the increasingly popular compact cars and small SUVs in Asia. Especially in India, blue will take the leading role.

In China, people in general are in search of individuality and better quality of life. Therefore, sophisticated yet vibrant colours with stylish designs and materials will win the hearts of the increasingly experienced Chinese consumers who start looking for products that can distinguish themselves from others. To give some examples, saturated red in a slightly magenta direction will become the new classic colour for the younger generation, whereas light orange with less intense texture appeals to active people. Overall speaking, a growing interest in a diversity of colour textures is observed.

In modern societies, people are bombarded with different kinds of stimuli, such as round-the-clock digital information. There is an intrinsic need to return to the basic value and balanced life. In the Asian automotive car market, such needs will be reflected gradually in automotive colour choice. "We continue to see the established emotional trend reflecting in warm greys and browns in Asia Pacific. However, there is an emerging trend that people will become more logical and realistic and take on a balanced lifestyle. This will be reflected in their preference on blue-influenced colours, which also indicates people’s aspiration to have a more comfortable and confident life,” said Matsuhara.