• by Tanya Gazdik , May 14, 2010

Sherwin-Williams has launched a new campaign positioning the paint stores as experts that help consumers "make the most of their color" with the best paint.

Created by agency-of-record McKinney, the campaign for the Cleveland-based retailer includes TV, print, online and rich media. A new tagline is featured: "Make the most of your color with the very best paint."

The "Color Chips" campaign features creative where the entire world is made of color chips, the portable pieces of heavyweight paper with different shades of color available at paint stores to help consumers make their selection. It showcases Sherwin-Williams' wheel of 1,500+ paint colors available at more than 3,300 Sherwin-Williams neighborhood paint stores nationwide.

Three 30-second television spots take viewers into landscapes and cityscapes bursting with color. Directed and produced by Buck NY, the animated spots feature a range of locations and characters, including a paint-chip frog and a paint-chip cardinal. The spots will air nationally on cable channels, including HGTV, Discovery, DIY, E!, ESPN, Food Network, GAC, Lifetime, Style, TNT Sports, USA and Weather.

Four print ads feature original color-chip sculptures created by Matthew Sporzynski. Sporzynski's sculptures, including a vase of flowers, stuffed animal, birdhouse and ice cream sundae, marry craftsmanship with the fun of selecting just the right paint and color. Magazines that the ads will appear in include Architectural Digest, Better Homes & Gardens, Real Simple, Good Housekeeping, House Beautiful and This Old House.

Online executions include multiple display banner ads that invite consumers to engage with Sherwin-Williams color tools online, ranging from the ColorSnap iPhone application to the brand's Color Visualizer, which allows people to upload their own photos to help envision what their completed painting project may look like. The campaign is being promoted on social media including Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

The campaign broke this week on TV, online and in June magazines (newsstand May 15). Both print and TV will run through 2010.