In 2020 the National Suicide Prevention Hotline changed from ten-digits to a number much easier to remember and quicker to dial: #9-8-8. However, not many people are aware of this change. To raise awareness for this new number we created a campaign for Pantone, the leading expert in color which is intimately linked to our feelings and emotions.

We found the Pantone color with the hex code #988 is a reddish brown hue that symbolises warmth and resilience. We created a Color of the Year campaign for this color, naming the color after its hex code to symbolise the new National Suicide Prevention Hotline #9-8-8.

The graphics follow Pantone’s familiar layout for their Color of the Year campaigns, including a key visual in the #988 color scheme and short description for why the color was chosen. We merged the classic Pantone white box logo with the outline of a smartphone to further represent the symbolism behind #988. The graphics would be displayed on Pantone’s website and their social media channels, where the hashtag #988 would spread awareness online.