Sherwin-Williams subverts color of the year trend by picking ‘loneliest’ hue

Dive Brief:

• Sherwin-Williams is shaking up expectations around color-of-the-year trends by honoring its least-popular hue, called Kingdom Gold, according to a news release. 


• The paint brand enlisted Dapper Dan to serve as creative director for its debut “The Loneliest Color” campaign, drawing parallels between Kingdom Gold and the adversity the Harlem-based designer faced in the fashion world before finding success.


• Dapper Dan’s creative residency includes photography captured by Nolis Anderson and produced by Verytaste. Dapper Dan also designed an apparel collection that is being auctioned on eBay through April 14, with proceeds benefiting Habitat for Humanity and affiliate organizations in Harlem.

Dive Insight:

Paint and design brands like Sherwin-Williams, Behr and Pantone frequently anoint colors of the year to try and set trends and act as bellwethers for broader consumer sentiment. Other marketers draw on these selections to appear in the know. For 2024, Sherwin-Williams is taking a more subversive approach, eschewing what’s on the rise in favor of a hue it views as underappreciated. 

Kingdom Gold is a muted take on a typically resplendent color, more closely aligned with yellow ochre and mustard tones than materials one would find in glittering jewelry. The offering, which Sherwin-Williams positioned as distinctive due to its green undertones and high saturation, is the brand’s least-tinted in the 14 years since it debuted the Color of the Year program in 2011. Less than 11,000 gallons of Kingdom Gold have been tinted in that period compared to millions produced for more conventional picks like whites, grays and neutrals, per the release. 

“After years of forecasting color trends of what will be popular for the year, or even years to come, we decided to take a step back and not only rethink how we celebrate color, but how we can be better stewards of building the confidence consumers need when choosing a color,” said Brett White, Sherwin-Williams senior vice president of sales and marketing, in a statement. “The Loneliest Color allows us to shed light on a hue that is unexpected and out of the ordinary for some.”

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To fit the underdog theme, Sherwin-Williams has tapped Dapper Dan, a Harlem-based courtier who initially struggled with criticism in fashion before breaking out. The designer has collaborated with other large brands, such as Gap, on efforts that emphasize embracing self-expression. 

Dapper Dan is porting over his style know-how for “The Loneliest Color” with a capsule collection that includes a velour jacket, soccer kits and custom Puma sneakers. Eight “wearable art pieces” were developed in partnership with Sue Wadden, Sherwin-Williams director of color marketing. Kingdom Gold’s richness was balanced out with tones like Brave Purple, Habanero Chile, In The Navy and Deep Sea Dive. 

Sherwin-Williams’ pick of a more intense option for its inaugural “The Loneliest Color” campaign comes as millennial-driven minimalism, a movement defined by gray-and-white interior design choices, falls out of vogue. Gen Z, a younger group, has skewed toward busier and more vibrant decor preferences.