During the biennial Color Show event, held in digital version, PPG presented 5 colour palettes that represent future colour trends in the automotive industry.
On the occasion of the biennial Color Show event, which this year took place virtually, PPG previewed the 80 colours, gathered in 5 palettes, which will give life to future colour trends in the automotive sector and which are part of the new chromatic macro-project Extra-Ordinary.
"We are happy to be a part of Color Show again, which on this occasion is being held in a new, digital format. In such a particular year even for the automotive sector, we would like to remain close to industrial players and support them in addressing new emerging requirements, working together to anticipate the needs of the future. The group aims to contribute by continuing to deliver innovation, digitization, and creativity through the introduction of a new colour range, the result of our profound dedication in terms of studies, analysis, and value for the automotive market. We combine research capacity with our goal - We Protect and Beautify the World - because we want to bring beauty and quality to the different sectors we work in and to the everyday world in which people live," says Rodolfo Saporiti, PPG Global Account Director FCA & Automotive Market Director, Italy.
The PPG colour proposal
Inspired by
five thematic areas that guide people's daily lives, PPG has created five palettes for a total of 80 colours that express brightness in a game of shimmers, accentuated shadows, and liquid metallization and allow for new and unexpected nuances. Among the colours,
warm tones (browns and oxides) predominate, ranging from bold accents to coloured neutrals and also giving warmth to medium-dark grey with copper shades and the interference of indigo blue. There is room for dusty pinks that turn to the heat and blues and reds explore the land bordering pink and orange. White also takes on different finishes.
"Our colour proposal is the result of a study and analysis that involves current events and wants to convey emotions. We are convinced that in such a particular and emotionally demanding year like this, the keyword is brightness, a theme symbolizing the hope that we all nurture. Light that also shines through in the deepest tones and which makes the color unique in all areas, with a common thread that we call 'ONE PPG', representing a unique, coherent path between the automotive industry, architecture, and all sectors in which we operate", says Daniela Nicolelli, PPG Styling Center Manager Automotive, Italy.
The five thematic areas identified by PPG are:
So conscious: the awareness of being an active part of the changes. The colours of this thematic area are medium or medium/light tones and 'limiting' shades. The finishes are metallic or ceramic with evident flops. The tones are mainly warm and desaturated, and accompanied by dusty blues. The neutrals are coloured in medium and medium/light variants and are found on average in petroleum, copper, and bronze.
So ethical: the ethics viewed as a daily attitude that interweaves modern life understood as sustainability and attention to waste with a glance towards the future, which for cars cannot overlook electrical mobility. Brown, terracotta, pinkish sand, and ochre have a place in this palette. Green is warmer and tends towards yellow. The finishes range from metallic to pearl.
So normal: the normality, a concept that never more than this year is new and resonates with resilience. The colour areas are equally divided between warm and cool tones with medium saturation.
So beautiful: the beauty which should not and cannot be missing in life and which enhances the specifics of the genius loci as a trademark of excellence. The colours range from green tending towards yellow, coloured liquid with a 'lacquered' effect, to deep blue, bright, metallic orange, and a decidedly shimmering, elegant mallow colour.
So bold: the audacity, a push to view the future optimistically in spite of adversity. This last colour palette combines saturated tones deriving directly from the primary colours, red (orange flame or classic), yellow, and blue (from classic to aqua). An outsider is black, which draws strength with holographic effects in the highlights and an intense background depth. Bright and lively tones are an expression of optimism and positive energy.
The new digital project
The digital nature of Color Show 2020 has allowed PPG to develop a digital project that allows colours to be shown three dimensionally, creating involving experiences increasingly close to reality. PPG has developed a digital car model where the colour is visualized on concave and convex forms, corners, and rapidly changing slopes.
The direct reading and scanning of PPG paints then generates files that can be used to paint the virtual model and render the colour over the entire shape.
The project, which translates into a support tool for both colour design and the customer, began ten months ago and PPG will continue to develop new colour projects "at a distance".
"We are very proud of this new digital project, which we have been working on in concert with the global team for more than ten months, even before the pandemic forced new ways of working. This is proof once again of the great research work and tendency towards the future that forms part of the group's DNA. For each new colour, we have created a digital version so that it can be easily rendered by our customers on their vehicle models," explains Federico Menta, PPG Global Director Automotive OEM Coatings. "This is just the beginning of an ambitious project. Our vision is to leverage digital tools to increase cooperation with customers and support them on the path towards excellence and continuous quality. Innovation is, in fact, the heart of our group strategy, and this is exactly what explains our commitment, which translates into a continued investment in Research & Development".
PPG's commitment to meet the new needs of the automotive industry
In addition to colour projects, PPG has also developed several products that meet the needs generated by the three main trends that will increasingly affect the future of the automotive industry: the transition to
electrification,
autonomous driving and the
car sharing.
"The automotive sector is historically important for PPG and continues to be strategic, even in this particular year," explains the company. "PPG has in fact the mission of covering a unique position as a partner of the automotive industry, supporting it along the transformation underway thanks to an ecosystem of cutting-edge technologies and products from adhesives and sealants, from protective and anti-corrosion paints to decorative ones".
For the transition to electrification, PPG provides painting and coating materials to produce batteries or "battery packs" to OEMs and manufacturers. PPG offers paints suitable for different substrates and a colour technology to reduce the heating of the passenger compartment in summer and the energy consumption required for air conditioning.
To address the needs generated by autonomous driving, PPG has introduced formulation principles that allow for the creation of colours compatible with radar and sensors LiDAR as required by assisted driving, and painting products for infrastructure that facilitate safe autonomous driving, such as road signs. To deal with the third trend, that is car sharing, especially in light of the health emergency and with particular attention for safety, PPG is studying paints with antimicrobial functionality.