Gen Z Purple is the New Millennial Pink

From milkshakes to makeup to iPhones, this pastel purple has become synonymous with Gen Z

I’ve noticed, as many of you have, that popular colors go in trends. Each generation, and even each decade, has become associated with a unique color palette. From the earthy tones of the ‘70s, to the bold neon hues of the 80’s, from the iconic all-black trend of the ‘90s, to millennial pink in the 2010s, the first to be named after a specific generation.

Now, a new color is on the rise, this time heralded by the latest generation to come of age, Gen Z. This color, known as Gen Z purple, can more specifically be described as a cool-toned pastel purple or soft lavender. Once you start looking, you’ll see it everywhere, in a scale that it was never present in a decade ago. Subconsciously, when used in marketing, this color signals to Gen Z that “this product is for you, it aligns with your aesthetic, and is aware of you as a generation”. It distinguishes a brand, product, or a person as something cool and new, and not cringe, outdated, or Millennial.

On a deeper level, gen z purple is reflective of the generation’s characteristics. Where Millennial pink reflects the practical, versatile, and conformist minimalism of Millennial aesthetics, Gen Z purple eludes to a more whimsical, dreamy, and creative perspective. In marketing, purple reflects mystery, luxury, and uniqueness, all qualities that will surely get a Gen Z to click on a product. The pastel nature of the color plays into this generation’s love of soft and bright colors, and the cool tone of this specific shade lends a soothing and relaxing quality to the color, alluding to the activity Gen Z loves most: sleeping.

Gen z purple can be found in packaging, logos, music, food, clothes, shoes, and mascots.

Examples of Gen Z Purple include the following:

• Pantone Color of the Year 2022: Very Peri. Note the fuzzy textured background and bubble graphics, two other favorites of Gen Z.

• Grimace shake- one of the best examples of Gen Z purple going viral was the Grimace shake by McDonalds. The Grimace shake, bearing the same hue and name as the company’s Grimace mascot, was a huge success, but not at all in the way McDonald’s expected. Gen Zs on TikTok would film themselves trying the Grimace shake and then— pretending to die.

• Olivia Rodrigo- Olivia Rodrigo, with hits like “Driver’s License”, “Good 4 You”, and “Obsessed”, is one of the top singers of the generation, making music by and for Gen Z. Her album colors are always in shades of purple (so far).

• Taylor Swift- This Millennial pop star recently rebranded herself to appeal to Gen Z, with a new pared-down style of music and an influx of Gen Z purple, from song title “Lavender Haze”, to an increase of the color in her wardrobe.

• Saie makeup- a trendy no-makeup makeup brand that uses gen z purple colored packaging (this generation’s Glossier, which is Millennial pink).

• Florence by Mills- once of the most iconic gen z actresses, Millie Bobbie Brown who played 11 in “Stranger Things” started a makeup and skincare brand called Florence by Mills, and its packaging color is also purple.

• iPhone- the iPhone 11, 12, and 14 came in shades of lilac.

• On Cloud- a very popular shoe brand right now, On recently released a Gen Z purple colored of sneaker that is now sold out.

• Lululemon- Lululemon is always coming out with new, limited edition colors for their clothing in trendy shades. Not surprisingly, they have been creating a a lot of purple clothing items, including the most recent “lilac ether” color way.

• Bubble tea- bubble tea is the most popular drink for the youth right now (the Gen Z version of the latte), and Gen Zs love going out for bubble tea with their friends. A popular and recognizable shade of the drink is the pastel purple taro flavor.

• Ube- this purple sweet potato went viral in culinary trends last year, and continues to be today, in part because of the distinctive vibrant purple hue it lends to what ever it is added to, making for very photogenic foods. From donuts, to gelato, to Trader Joe’s new ube Oreos, be on the look out for more purple colored foods.

What color do you think symbolizes your generation? Share your thoughts in the comments below!