“The idea started with us asking the question, ‘How would we talk about a color that’s not popular and unknown and undiscovered?’” says Sue Wadden, Sherwin-Williams’ director of color marketing. “It’s still beautiful, and people just need to know about it.”
With its green undertones and rich saturation, Kingdom Gold has an earthy, ’70s vibe that allows it to read like a neutral, albeit with a little more punch than the average tan or mustard. Because of its intensity, this yellow works especially well as an accent, on anything from a focal architectural feature, like a fireplace or a set of closet doors, to an entire wall. You could, of course, color drench a whole room in this shade, too, for a jewel box effect, and it’d be a fun molding color if you’re looking to go bold in a room. Imagine how great this energetic hue would look with a coordinating wallpaper!
As part of “The Loneliest Color” campaign, Sherwin-Williams has tapped Harlem fashion designer and haberdasher Dapper Dan (or Dap, for short) as the creative director of the project. The paint company felt Dap’s career trajectory, once an outlier in his industry and now a celebrated personality that’s worked with brands from Gap to Gucci, aligned nicely with the spotlighting of Kingdom Gold, an overlooked shade that’ll hopefully now get its time in the sun. And although Dap has had many roles and partnered on several collaborations over the years, this is the first time he’s ever been named a creative director.
“To me, color champions our creative potential and radiates joy,” says Dapper Dan in a press release about the campaign. “My hope is that ‘The Loneliest Color’ will help people find the confidence to show the world their true colors.”
The campaign also centers around a capsule collection of wearables up for auction on eBay starting at 12 p.m. ET today. Items feature Kingdom Gold prominently and include Puma shoes, a track jacket, and a bucket hat, among others. Quantities are limited, and proceeds will go to Habitat for Humanity as well as some affiliate organizations in Harlem. The auction will run until April 14.