Mckinney and Sherwin Williams have launched a new integrated advertising campaign built around a world made entirely of paint chips. The campaign consists of three television spots, four print ads, online advertising, an iPhone application and an online color visualizer application.

“We’re excited to have created a campaign that’s brand-focused storytelling through art. We were able to take what Sherwin-Williams is known for – expertise, advice and the world’s best paint – and leverage it against an emotionally resonant story about color, using the single most important element in most painting decisions: the color chip. Buck’s attention to detail throughout the spots, coupled with Matthew’s passion for color and design, makes this some of McKinney’s best work to date.”– Jonathan Cude, chief creative officer, McKinney.

The four print ads are what first caught my eye. They are amazing paper sculptures built by artist Matthew Sporzynski, who is the owner of New York’s Couturier de Cardboard Inc. The sculptures showcase a stuffed animal, a bird house, a vase of flowers, and ice cream sundae. Each demonstrates the masterful craftsmanship Sporzynski brings to the table, and the subject matter is light and fun showing off the satisfaction of picking just the right paint color. These ads are scheduled to appear in issues of Dwell, Architectural Digest, Better Homes & Gardens, Real Simple, Good Housekeeping, House Beautiful and This Old House.

Sporzynski had over 1500 color chips to work with when he began designing his paper sculptures. He worked with the entire Sherwin-Williams pallet but was drawn to the green family. “I’m always big into the greens,” he mused. “We used Gecko, House Plant and Pickle. I love the names of Sherwin-Williams paints. They’re so evocative.”

The TV spots were produced by New York agency “Buck”. Each 30 second spot features wonderfully designed and animated 3-D characters and environments that showcase Sherwin-Williams’ 2010 color palette. The commercials are scheduled to run on DIY, HGTV, Food Network, Cooking Channel, Lifetime, Style, and PBS where is a show sponsor.

In addition to traditional media channels Sherwin-Williams has developed ColorSnap an online application that allows customers to look through the entire color pallet, select paint choices, and apply them to images that you have uploaded to the site. The application is supported by a series of banner ads that invite consumers to engage with Sherwin-Williams color tools online.

Sherwin-Williams has ported ColorSnap to the iPhone for mobile browsing. This is a smart move since more and more customers are engaging online content via their phone, and because it allows you to bring the application with you to the store. The free iPhone application is fairly robust and allows you to:

* Capture a color that inspires you and match it to one of 1,500 Sherwin-Williams paint colors.
* Create a custom palette or Ask Sherwin-Williams for colors that complement your color.
* Search for specific colors or browse the full Sherwin-Williams color palette.
* Fine tune colors using lightness, saturation and hue features.
* Save colors to your “My Saved Colors” library to compare palettes or share with friends and family via Facebook and email.
* Learn detailed color information, including color names, RGB values, and LRV numbers.
* Find a Sherwin-Williams Store Near You

All touch points feature the same tagline “Make the most of your color with the very best paint.”

According to Ellen Moreau, Vice President of Marketing Communications for Sherwin-Williams “We all about helping people turn their color inspirations into reality. With over 1,500 colors to choose from, we know making the right color choice is as important as choosing the right paint. Our new Color Chips campaign symbolizes just how passionate we are about helping people create something beautiful with amazing colors and the highest quality paint.”