According to Casual Day project leader Celeste Vinassa, Pantone provides "professional colour standards for the design industries, and each year Pantone decides on a colour that influences fashion, home, industrial and graphic design for a year."
"Colour communicates subliminally with its audience and we at Casual Day like to be on trend. Pantone looks to everything from new films, art, music, technology and even to sports. Although the project is a fundraiser, we encourage people to have as much fun as possible, and go over the top for a day," says Vinassa.
Pantone 17-5641 Emerald is a lively, radiant, lush green and you will see it represented in the sticker design and all the marketing collateral. "We have used a range of greens and blues, giving the overall impression of emerald. Able, the Casual Day mascot, can be seen wearing a green wig. According to Pantone 'emerald, a vivid, verdant green, enhances our sense of well-being by inspiring insight, as well as promoting balance and harmony'," adds Vinassa.
Vinassa says that emerald is the colour of growth, renewal and prosperity and is synchronous with Casual Day's new era: "When designing any campaign, colour is critical to its success. Each year we change the look-and-feel of the campaign, using the theme and the colour of the year as a catalyst."
According to Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, "Symbolically, emerald brings a sense of clarity, renewal and rejuvenation, which is so important in today's complex world. This powerful and universally-appealing tone translates easily to both fashion and home interiors." And the 2013 Casual Day campaign.
"Marketing is critical to the success of Casual Day and we employ a full-time designer to execute the campaign. This year we aim to make a big, if not massive, impact with our Go Big campaign - so whether you wear a big green wig, big glasses, a big tie, big shoes, or just go big on the number of stickers you wear, anything goes, as long as it's big. Funds are raised R10 at a time and a tremendous effort goes in, throughout the year, to do fundraising in this way. Not only do the beneficiaries have the immediate benefit of the money they raise, but their donations also help other organisations for persons with disabilities all over the country," says Vinassa.
Partner organisations and companies who bulk order their stickers, shirts, caps and marketing collateral should consult the Casual Day website to see what is in store for them this year. It is time to put in your orders by filling in the forms on the website and making sure the office has your form.
Casual Day is on Friday, 6 September 2013. Leading retail group Edcon, is Casual Day's principal financial sponsor. Stickers are available at all Edcon stores, which include the following brands: Edgars, Jet, JetMart, Boardmans, CNA, Red Square and LEGIT. Stickers will also be available at Absa, Game and DionWired stores, Checkers, Checkers Hyper or any of the participating beneficiary organisations (for full list see www.casualday.co.za).
