How Behr paint took social media’s DIY obsession to a new level

Behr paint’s 1947 origins may date to the dawn of the television era, but the company has stayed on the cutting edge with media channels in its quest to reach new DIY-focused homeowners. Recently, Behr began harnessing TikTok with a DIY home-improvement competition series that was a first for the social media platform.

Called To DIY For, the series pits contestants against one another to compete for the title of “Behr’s Ultimate DIYer.” Contestants use Behr paint to refurbish furniture or decorate rooms, with fans voting for winners via TikTok comments. Season 3, which debuted in July, has garnered more than 37 million views and 23,500 new followers.

“ ‘Social first’ has definitely been part of our evolution,” says Behr’s marketing chief Andy Lopez, noting that the show’s TikTok success has led it to expand to Instagram. With To DIY For, “we’re able to motivate people with smaller projects, showing that you can make a really big transformation on a budget.”

While all the major paint brands—and, of course, Pantone—run a color-of-the-year campaign, Behr doubled down on its digital marketing efforts, tapping a range of Instagram creators to promote its 2024 choice: Cracked Pepper. Interior design influencers used the shade to transform spaces, aromatherapy expert Holly Brandenberger shared content about the connection between color and other senses, and Top Chef Canada host Eden Grinshpan posted a cacio e pepe recipe inspired by the color’s name—and repainted her kitchen in the color.

The Color of the Year social push earned Behr 10 billion media impressions across channels.

This story is part of Fast Company’s 2024 Brands That Matter. Explore the full list of honorees that have demonstrated a commitment to their brand’s purpose and cultural relevance to their audience. Read more about the methodology behind the selection process.