Forget millennial pink—the hottest color of the moment is Blueprint.
At least, according to the folks over at Behr, who announced this week that they’ve named the moody blue shade as the 2019 Color of the Year.
The Color of the Year was released along with Behr’s 2019 Color Trends palette, pointing to the hues to look for in the coming year, 15 “supporting colors” which include hues in the categories soft focus (pastels), down to earth (earth tones), color binge (monochromatic) and inspired curation (jewel tones).
Behr determined its annual Color of the Year through months of research, consulting pop culture, trade shows, fashion, lifestyle trends and other external inspirations to help whittle down the hues that felt the most current as well as versatile.
Through this research, Blueprint became the final answer. “All these blues were bubbling to the top, from light to dark to saturated,” Erika Woelfel, Behr’s vp of color and creative services. “We saw this warmer than denim, softer than navy blue as a sweet spot.”
And one of the key elements they were looking for in a color of the year, Woelfel said, was something that was relatable—and could actually be seen in the average consumer’s home. “We want to make sure we’re bringing colors that people can actually use,” she added. “We’re a liveable and approachable brand, so that’s our main goal and objective.”
Of course, Behr’s Color of the Year announcement is an opportunity to drum up buzz for the brand and create a moment—one that it’s capitalized on with the Color of the Year pop-up store in New York, which Jodi Allen, CMO of Behr, calls an “immersive experience.”
There, visitors can walk away with either samples of Blueprint or entire gallons of it, tour showrooms featuring Blueprint, purchase Blueprint-colored goods crafted by local New York artisans, and even paint an originally white bear (Behr’s logo) in all the paint colors included in the palettes.
Behr has also partnered with Home Depot (its exclusive retail partner) to create shoppable moments right in the store, where consumers can shop (online) on any Behr-painted item they see in the pop-up on a provided iPad. The store opened on Aug. 22 and lasts through the weekend.
“They can come into our pop-up shop, and really get inspired by our new Color of the Year,” Allen said “But also have the opportunity to see all the trend colors in real life and consult with our color experts. It’s a nice intersection of tech [experience] and handmade, with the items people have created.”
It’s also a chance for Behr to be a greater part of a consumer’s journey, Woelfel said. The Behr team hopes that by identifying these on-trend colors, they can help “simplify” a customer’s choice, and give them a jumping block to go off of. The palettes alone are only part of it, too: Customers can see them “in action” on Behr’s website throughout the year.
“[We hope] to leverage [these palettes] throughout the consumer’s journey, so wherever the consumers are looking for color inspiration throughout the year, to show them with beautiful photography and an online experience, how they use digital tools to make their homes beautiful,” she said. “We’re trying to make this into a marketing opportunity that really kicks off today, but stays throughout the next several months.”
Don’t miss Brandweek, coming up September 23-25 in Palm Springs. No panels, no sales pitches—just three days of interactive discussion, problem-solving, entertainment and networking. Learn more here.
