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

• Sherwin-Williams is shaking up expectations around color-of-the-year trends by honoring its least-popular hue, called Kingdom Gold, based on a news release. 
• The paint brand enlisted Dapper Dan to function 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’s being auctioned on eBay through April 14, with proceeds benefiting Habitat for Humanity and affiliate organizations in Harlem.

Paint and design brands like Sherwin-Williams, Behr and Pantone often anoint colours of the year to attempt to set trends and act as bellwethers for broader consumer sentiment. Other marketers draw on these selections to seem 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 tackle 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 as a result of its green undertones and high saturation, is the brand’s least-tinted in the 14 years because it debuted the Color of the Year program in 2011. Less than 11,000 gallons of Kingdom Gold have been tinted in that period in comparison with tens of millions produced for more conventional picks like whites, grays and neutrals, per the release. 

“After years of forecasting color trends of what will likely be popular for the year, and even years to come back, we decided to take a step back and never only rethink how we have fun color, but how we might be higher stewards of constructing the confidence consumers need when selecting a color,” said Brett White, Sherwin-Williams senior vp of sales and marketing, in an announcement. “The Loneliest Color allows us to make clear a hue that’s unexpected and out of the atypical for some.”

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, equivalent to 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 features 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 selections, falls out of vogue. Gen Z, a younger group, has skewed toward busier and more vibrant decor preferences.