Every brand wants to own a hue so distinct, so definitive, that even a glimpse could trigger Pavlovian devotion. Coca-Cola is red; Pepsi is blue - a carbonated battle of the primaries. Heineken’s green invites good times, while Budweiser’s red is less a colour and more a rallying cry that fuels post match autopsies. EasyJet, Hermes, Just Eat - all in on orange and Skittles, so greedy it made a grab for the entire rainbow.
Long before brands turned Pantones into profit, one artist cornered the market on a singular shade: Yves Klein, the OG colour monopolist. International Klein Blue (IKB), a hypnotic ultramarine, wasn’t just a colour, it was a lifestyle. Klein didn’t just paint with it, he bathed in it, rolled naked models in it and filled swimming pools with it. His monochromatic fever dream made him a global sensation. But what set Klein apart was his ability to combine colour, interactivity and sheer audacity into experiences that were equal parts art and elaborate prank.
In 1958 Klein staged an exhibition called The Void. On opening night guests were greeted by a theatrical blue curtain and once inside they found…nothing. Klein had stripped the gallery bare, leaving only the overwhelming emptiness of the guest's own expectations.
As they milled about in confusion, they were served gin. Lots of it. Enough to lubricate their disappointment. Only later, once they'd left did they realize they’d been part of the artwork all along. The gin had been laced with a pigment that turned their urine blue. For days, they unwittingly participated in Klein’s greatest interactive piece: a colourful prank on the human body.
If this were to happen today social media would have been flooded (literally) with influencers and creators streaming their streams. Collabs galore would have seen limited edition IKB x Evian bottles and Calvin x Yves Klein merch with messages such as “I went to the Yves Klein exhibition and all I got was a minor urinary tract infection and this perfectly adequate t-shirt."
Klein understood today's brief: Interactivity isn’t optional, It’s essential. And if you can make people laugh and maybe slightly traumatized, even better. Yves Klein didn’t just own a colour; he weaponized it, turning it into a playful, provocative force that still resonates today.
Colour isn’t just an identity, it’s an opportunity to provoke, surprise, and engage. When activation calls, think like Klein: see colour as more than a swatch, make it a moment worth remembering.