"Barbie" drives Salt Lake City's summer of nostalgia

Expect to see more pops of pink around Salt Lake City as Barbie drives the summer of nostalgia.

Why it matters: Post-pandemic, there's "pent-up desire to just have some fun," Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute, tells Axios' Brianna Crane.

• And incorporating Barbie's bold, signature shade at home — from countertops to wine glasses — is one way people are leaning toward optimism.

Driving the news: Utah was among the top three states searching for "Barbie pink" over the past month in the lead-up to this weekend’s Barbie box office debut, according to Google Trends data from early July.

The big picture: U.S. search interest in "Barbie pink” in the home and garden category more than quadrupled in June 2023 and is currently at a 10-year high, per Google Trends data.

• Searches for "Barbiecore aesthetic room" on Pinterest jumped 1,135% from May 2022 to this May. Searches for a Barbie bathroom and living room each increased 135% and "hot pink nursery" rose 75%, according to data shared by the inspiration search engine.

Between the lines: Pink — in its various shades — has grown in popularity over the last decade, becoming a genderless, ageless symbol of playfulness and power, says Sue Wadden, director of color marketing at Sherwin-Williams.

What's next: Interior design experts don't expect a deluge of Barbie Dreamhouses across the county, but more playful design is here to stay.