Pantone created Very Peri specifically for their 2022 Colour of the Year — unusually, rather than selecting an existing colour, they invented a new one. They described it as representing "the global zeitgeist of the moment" — specifically the blurring between digital and physical reality that accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Digital, liminal, and forward-looking. Very Peri represents a colour born from screen culture — it sits between the virtual blue of digital interfaces and the purple of imagination and creativity. Pantone described it as a colour that "fosters a transformative approach to life." It is simultaneously a very contemporary colour and one with ancient purple associations.

Pantone's decision to invent rather than select a Colour of the Year for 2022 was significant — it reflected their assessment that no existing colour adequately represented the cultural moment. The creation of a new colour by a colour authority raises philosophical questions about where colours come from and who has the authority to define them.