Red Hot Summer

By: Dan Benton, Axalta Color Marketing Director

As you know, Axalta named Radiant Red color of the year for 2015. The popularity of red in transportation coatings has increased and red is also a signature color of summertime. Who doesn’t get a thrill seeing (and hearing) a red Ferrari roar past on a bright summer day? Red is practical, too.  Licorice, popsicles, tomatoes, balloons, salsa, ketchup on hot dogs, and even sunburn – the list goes on and on.

From the “rockets’ red glare” of fireworks, to beautiful sunsets – red is a color we all take note of in the summer. I think we can all agree – this season has been red hot. We’ve had record-breaking heat throughout much of the country and Radiant Red is on fire.

What is it about summertime and the sizzle of red? No doubt, we associate red with heat, but it’s much more than that. We tend to see more shades of red in the summer. It boldly shows up in our fashion statements and even in our everyday summer fun. 

Rusty red dirt roads that are off the beaten path and brilliant red hues at one of the wonders of the world, the Grand Canyon, call to us with wanderlust to race off into adventure and exploration. Automotive dream cruises or car shows give us another opportunity to show off audacious reds on fine, showroom vehicles. Red was everywhere at the recent Woodward Dream Cruise in Detroit. We captured video of classic red vehicles, many proudly painted with Axalta paint. It was not hard to find some classic reds among the thousands of vehicles. Stay tuned for more on this, as we release a Radiant Red video with Dream Cruise footage.

Something about the warm months inspires us to show our confident side, and no color is quite as adventurous as red. Speaking of adventure, amusement parks are another red hot spot. I was once a wide-eyed kid braving his first roller coaster ride that looked like massive radiant red, winding steel. I remember the red glow of the Ferris wheel at night. I wanted to conquer them all. These sights and sounds of summer are something we probably all can identify with. Did you know that Axalta is one of the leading coatings suppliers to amusement parks around the world? Our Industrial coatings are designed to protect, and to attract. Red screams speed, and thrills – that’s why many roller coasters are painted with Axalta’s vibrant red coatings.

When we named Radiant Red color of the year – we did so because we had measured data that demonstrated that the use of the color red was on the rise in transportation coatings. We spend a great deal of time measuring and observing color trends, and it was clear to us that 2015 was going to be a banner year for red.

So before the cooler months arrive, let’s take some time to enjoy the playful days of summer, and appreciate the vibrant, saturated reds that surround our everyday lives. Wherever you are – just take a look around – you can’t miss the color red.  It’s so hot, you may need your shades.

Dan Benton, Axalta Color Marketing Manager at Woodward Dream Cruise