Marketing in the News: "The Loneliest Color"

 

As an artistic, maximalist-type homemaker, who LOVES color (I wanted a sunshine yellow bunk bed as a kid) and who may have a little stick-it-to-the-man streak running through her blood, I was so excited to hear about Sherwin-Williams’ new ad campaign for “The Loneliest Color.”  Disenchantment quickly ensued.

An article at MarketingDive highlights Sherwin-Williams’ attempt to attract Gen Z by spotlighting its least-tinted color “Kingdom Gold” in partnership with fashion visionary Dapper Dan.  The Harlem-based designer has created a “capsule collection that includes a velour jacket, soccer kits and custom Puma sneakers” utilizing the color.  This collection will be auctioned off by April 14^th with the proceeds benefiting Habitat for Humanity and other Harlem charities.  In contrast to only releasing its “Color of the Year,” Sherwin-Williams (SW) is breaking the mold and showing us “The Loneliest Color,” something we, quite literally, haven’t seen before.

This falls right in line with SW’s key values of innovation and the power of color.  Dapper Dan himself is an innovator and overcame many obstacles without forsaking his personal style to reach his fashion goals.  Their partnership makes a lot of sense for this campaign.  In the ad itself, Dan speaks to how the campaign is an effort to “rediscover the beauty of color.”  This flies in the face of the typical Millennial grey-and-white vibe.  And it is about time.

So why my disappointment? 

The ads are blasé! Boring!  As uninspired and safe as the Millennial kitchens they think Gen Z wants to abandon.  Where is the empowerment to show our true colors?   Where is the BLING that this color obviously emotes?  It’s gold for crying out loud!  “Am I just not their target audience?” I ask myself.

Probably not.

I am a 40-year-old white woman smack dab in the middle of the Millennial generation, so it makes sense that maybe I am missing something.  But I am also a risk-taking overcomer who has never felt at home with subway tile.  So I feel like I can appreciate a move away from all the neutrals towards embracing bold colors.

If I was a Gen Z urbanite with newfound money and an identity to claim, I would probably be all over that auction.  But that feels like the crux of the campaign, and it ends mid-April.  Is the campaign actually gaining any traction?  The MarketingDive article was the first I heard of “The Loneliest Color” but I don’t frequent the typical Gen Z circles. 

I arrive too late to see how the auction goes.

I decide to follow their IG links to all the articles they have lined up to promote “The Loneliest Color.”  It bounces from Complex.com, “an American New York-based media platform for youth culture,” to Ebony, and then the standard home trend sites like Better Homes&Gardens, Apartment Therapy, and Real Simple.  Soooo many words.  Not much inspiration.  In fact, I walk away from Real Simple feeling like SW doesn’t quite believe this color can truly shine.

Liberty Mutual gets full points for their comment!

 

Digging a little deeper, I do a keyword search for “Kingdom Gold” videos.  All I find are Sherwin-Williams paid partnerships.  Eww.  Nothing says authentic like being paid to paint something yellow.

On a positive note, I did find this beautiful painting by the same name.

“Kingdom Gold” by Meg McLean

Now there is some inspiration for how to appreciate the color!

Assuming that SW is seeking to expand its market to the younger generation and maybe even a sub-culture in America, I say bravo to being so bold and going there.  I just feel the implementation is lacking the necessary passion and laser focus to hit what they are aiming for.  Dapper Dan tells us that “rediscovering the beauty of color is . . . getting to the essence of what something is and what it looks like.”  This campaign fails Gen Z in that regard.  Gen Z wants to express themselves, to stand out from the crowd while also having a tribe.  There is so much that “The Loneliest Color” could speak to regarding those motivations.  Striking visuals, not limited to just rooms and décor, paired with story-telling about individuality, belonging, resilience, and affecting change presented across the spectrum of social media would be much more effective than relying on one man’s creative use of the color. 

In all, this campaign feels more like a smattering of shotgun shrapnel than a precise, tailored appeal for self-expression.  While Sherwin-Williams did shoot for the margin, they pulled their punches by using the same old marketing tactics of press releases and magazine articles, with only a slight social media presence, and neglecting the power of the early adopters who are passionate about artistry, and especially about the color yellow.