Feb. 15, 2008 - Blue is fast overtaking green as the signature color of all things environmental, according to advertising firm JWT Intelligence. The palette shift is one of the company's "10 Trends for 2008."

With climate change and global water shortages rating among today's top environmental concerns, the blue of water and glaciers and sky has replaced the green of plants and forests in consumers' minds, JWT suggests, and organizations may be unconsciously reflecting this in their branding efforts. For example:

Mercedes-Benz has patented its latest emissions-reducing technology for diesel as “Bluetec.“ In the U.K., environmental specialists are favoring blue graphics and terminology, such as Level Blue Limited, a sustainability and environmental management services provider. In France, the “Pavillon Bleu” (blue flag) is awarded to towns and pleasure ports that meet all-around environmental standards, and the Blue Plan is a French-based project working toward a sustainable future for the Mediterranean.

The report concludes that:

Somehow, “blue” terminology and graphics suggest environmental responsibility in a more contemporary and credible way than “green.” It’s as if “green” became too strongly associated with “tree huggers” and the “beards and sandals” ethos of earlier environmentalism and with brands going through the motions of environmentalism (greenwashing). Now corporations embracing environmentalism can adopt “blue” without looking as though they’re jumping on the green bandwagon.

JWT's 2008 trends list is still under development. Read additional text from the section "Blue Is the New Green" here via eco-blog La Marguerite.