NEWS worthy Clips (2/3)
Update your vocabulary with news clips from around the world
News worthy clips
White silver as most popular auto color
After seven years, silver has given up its title as the most popular vehicle color in North America, losing out by a small margin to white and pearly white, according to a study done by DuPont Automotive Systems.
White’s rise in popularity is a sign that some new color, possibly red, blue or black, will soon emerge as the favorite , DuPont says. In the 55 years that DuPont has released the study, white usually emerges as a favorite for a year or two in between changing trends.
The automakers rely on studies like DuPont’s to determine how many vehicles of each color to manufacture. Silver was the longest-reigning top color in the history of the study, says Karen Surcina, color marketing and technology manager at DuPont Automotive. Although it became known as a safe, somewhat boring color choice, silver was radical in 1999 when it first became the favorite color. Then, it was associated with shiny new cell phones, emerging technology and stainless steel appliances.
White, on the other hand, is what Surcina calls a palate . Although it is currently popular in the fashion industry, it will likely have only a short stay at the top of the list as consumers move on to more vibrant colors.
Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, says people’s eyes get bored looking at the same colors all the time. Eiseman’s not surprised buyers have preferred neutrals over the past decade. It’s almost as if our is looking for something safe in a topsy-turvy world, she says.
“When people go to white, it’s because there’s so much concern in the world around us. There’s so much muddy and unknown,” Eiseman says. Let’s try to clear it all up. White is the color of clarification.”
Vocabulary Focus
emerge (v) ---to become known or develop as a result of something
radical (adj) ---being an example of great change; extreme
topsy-turvy (adj) ---confused, not well organized or giving importance to unexpected things
Specialized terms
palate (n)--- the top part of the inside of your mouth that affects a person’s sense of taste