This is officially 'the ugliest color in the world' - and it's being used to stop people from smoking

This unappealing brownish-green hue is Pantone 448 C. It's been called the ugliest color in the world - and it's being used to try to save lives.

For the past several years, the Australian government has been enacting laws to make cigarette packaging as unpleasant as possible to dissuade consumers from smoking. The plain packages are logo-free, sport large health warnings, and graphic pictures of the consequences of smoking. They're also Pantone 448 C.

The government approached research group GfK Bluemoon in 2012 and asked them to come up with a packaging design that was as unappetizing a possible, according to "The Brisbane Times." It took them three months, and during the course of their research they determined Pantone 448 C was the least appealing color.

Market researcher Victoria Parr told the "Times" that the color was "was commonly described as 'death', 'dirty' or 'tar' without any positive adjectives.''

Not everyone is happy that Pantone 448 C is the official ugliest color. It was originally described by the government as ''olive green'' until the Australian Olive Association wrote to complain about the comparison. Now it's described as a "drab dark brown."

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