Sherwin-Williams set out to shift brand perception, improve brand health and connect with one of its most important audience— architects. Over the past five years, the Color Obsessed Series positioned Sherwin-Williams as the premier partner in color for architects, reinforcing the brand’s value while leaning into technology and innovation. Each initiative within the Color Obsessed Series leveraged cutting-edge technology to immerse architects in a world of color they never could have imagined.

Sherwin-Williams believes that color is a core human experience.

Sherwin-Williams Coil Coatings has partnered with architects for over 150 years to bring their visions of the perfect building—and its color story—to life.

Although Sherwin-Williams products have been used to protect and beautify monumental buildings, they still found it difficult to move past the perception in an architect's mind that they were "just" an interior paint company.

We needed to help Sherwin-Williams shift architects’ brand perception and demonstrate that our client was an innovative, modern thought leader that could help architects create any color imaginable.

The Color Obsession Series is a set of experiences that immerse an architect in a world of color they never thought possible, through senses not typically utilized to experience color. We moved beyond the practical application of color to the abstract and experiential through the use of innovative technology.

Imagine bring able see the color your brain waves are capable of producing. Or to put yourself in a color technician's shoes and make your own color with your hands (without the mess). Or even create a custom color palette based on a memory—using only your voice. We made each of these seemingly impossible ideas real through our Color Obsession Series.

Each experience within this long-running campaign solidified Sherwin-Williams as the creative color leader for architects, while engaging their own sense of inspiration.

The world that we live in—our skylines, landmarks and iconic buildings—were all born from an architect’s imagination. Color is a crucial component of an architect’s vision—you might even call it an obsession. A small nuance in hue or shade can change the experience of a city, evoke emotion or send a message.

We have spent the last five years positioning Sherwin-Williams to the architect market as a partner who shares architects’ obsession with color. We know that it isn’t just the end color that matters—how architects get there is a critical, creative experience all its own.

The Color Obsession Series is a series of immersive experiences, leveraging (in some cases) never-before-seen technology, that revealed a world of color that architects had never seen before. This series was ownable to Sherwin-Williams, and helped position them as THE color innovation partner for architects.

Our Color Obsession Series includes 3 experiences—each intended to help architects unlock a new world of color they never could have imagined.

Thinking in Color: Using EEG headsets, we translated brain waves into actual colors. This technology was custom-created for Sherwin-Williams and our Color Obsession experience. Architects stood in awe as their brain waves were displayed as a continuous stream of color, a mesmerizing sight.

Color Mixology: Using LIDAR technology, we put the power of creation into the literal hands of the architects. Architects experienced the art and science of color making by using their hands to blend pigments, add effects and reveal their finished custom color.

Speaking In Color: We created a one-of-a-kind, AI color selection solution that brings together language, color and innovation. Using just their voice, architects could describe their spark of inspiration and finesse their color until perfect.

Sherwin-Williams' initial goal was to change brand perception to ensure architects knew they were thought leaders and their preferred partner in color. We achieved this perception shift with each Color Obsession Series experience:

Thinking in Color:

-2,000+ target audience participants

-Custom Architect Color Series: 12 never-been-seen colors created by architects and catalogued by Sherwin-Williams & released for purchase

Color Mixology:

-300+ target audience participants

-2,000 total colors created

-Custom Architect Color Series: 10 never-been-seen colors created by architects and catalogued by Sherwin-Williams & released for purchase

Speaking in Color:

-Launched April 2022: Sherwin-Williams' top customers given first-access to inform the future of the tool.

-Through continued participation, we will create the largest dataset of color attribution in the world.?

-We are unlocking the opportunity to provide a unique, data-driven personalization approach to continue to engage and strengthen relationships with architects, and further demonstrate Sherwin-Williams’ obsession with color.