The Minions Get Their Very Own Color From Pantone

For the first time in three years, the Pantone Color Institute has revealed a new color — and it has some despicable origins.

“Minion yellow,” inspired by the tiny creatures from the Despicable Me franchise and the upcoming prequel Minions, is the latest addition to the company’s color matching system, which is used by designers and artists. The company says the color came about after Pharrell Williams, who sings the song “Happy” from the Despicable Me 2 film, first came up with the idea and the Pantone team worked with animators at Illumination Entertainment to nail down the specific shade of Minion yellow.

“Color is contextual and right now there is a desire for colors that are more vibrant and uplifting,” Pantone Color Institute vice president Laurie Pressman said in a statement about the new color. “This is especially the case with the yellows, so given the worldwide popularity of the Minions, it seemed only natural to name a color after a character for the first time in our history.”

Minions hits theaters on July 10.