Rust-O, The (Not So) New Player in the Spray Paint Market
Has Rust-O lost their Gusto?
What Happens When a Company That Never Cared About the Culture Suddenly Wants In?
Rust-O Artist paint: Carnivale 392216
Rust-oleum recently introduced their all-new “Artist Edition” spray paints for public purchase under the graffiti given nickname for the original brand, RUST-O. The brand has been working behind the scenes testing their new product over the last year and getting feedback from a multitude artists. A familiar face in the popular graffiti and street art scene, Rust-oleum has surged in the last 30 years. The “Artist Edition” cans Feature 34 new colors, sporting names geared towards street art but in a PR kind way, such as “Mix Tape”, “Banana Whip”, and “Cloudy Daze”. The new paint is held in a vintage can style and the website offers the hopeful mission statement “Rust-O’s purpose is all about fueling that creative spark, giving artists the power to break the mold and level up their craft”. Rust-O is an acrylic based female valve system, in an 11oz can with a matte finish and 20 minute dry time. With these stats in mind, graffiti writers and online critics have equally touted the paint as a “soulless cash grab” but also a testament to how far graffiti culture has come, to the point that mainstream media wants yet again another slice of the pie.
A Brief History in Rust-oleum:
Starting in 1921 as a fish oil based sea coating merchant, the company grew to offering a wide variety of paints and products including the popular Spray paint version we know today. Valued as the primary tool of criminal mischief for writers, the product was portable, permanent and an efficient method for writing their names in the public. For years artists and writers freely promoted Rustoleum and even heavily supported the product not only for its quality (Oil-based baby) but its colors, rackability and brand appeal as a classic staple of graffiti history.
When reaching out to the company many times with critique and suggestions for improvement, notable artists were often ignored and brushed off. Now, re-releasing as “Artist forward/friendly” It’s nice to see that the company finally acknowledges a heavy percentage of their user base, but most agree they could have done this 30 years ago. Spending the same time other brands, like Montana, did working with artists and improving their products.
So Why Does The New RUST-O Not Feel Authentic?
Artists criticized and asked for representation from the brand for years and got nothing in response, so why today? There are many notable spray paint brands alive and well serving artists including Loop, Montana, and DANG. These brands offer hundreds of colors, high quality pigments, a female valve system compatible with essentially any cap on the market, and new technologies like “Night Quill”. All of these brands boast fast drying times and UV resistance.
DENSO
It’s giving “Dina - Hip Hop Tutorial”
The sudden jump, with rebranding and graffiti forward marketing all feel disingenuous. To us, the seemingly AI generated content feels more like an attempt to stay relevant in the current conversation, than actually wanting to contribute something worthwhile to the community that kept the brand relevant. Language like, “Rust-O is crafted for artists who crave: Interchangeable spray caps for customized flow Medium pressure output giving you ultimate control Weather-resistant finish that laughs in the face of Mother Nature Artist-quality pigments for rich, vibrant colors Superior hiding power to cover like a boss Color indicator on top of the can for quick and easy selection” (Yes, this is a direct copy and paste from the website, view it here. Check out the FAQ section at the bottom of the page) It’s screaming “Google Keyword Graffiti YB focused Chat GPT word salad”
The Ai generated mess of a thought, its run-on sentences, and lack of comprehension of the actual art form that truly gives away Rust-oleum’s true goal. RUST-O definitely isn’t “By artist for artist” but more so what companies think it means to be a writer and how those in the culture apparently talk and act.
When an artist, for example, is contracted to do a mural project, they need to order potentially 50-100 cans of paint for said project. Offering a high quality paint, for a very affordable rate, that's locally made would be a no brainer. A short 5 years ago, Rust-oleum was readily available for anywhere between $3-8 per can. In comparison, at the time, Montana which is niche, had to be sold at a higher rate. Inflation has now caused prices of Rust-oleum to surge as high as $13 for one can of paint while, the better artist-focused brands are close in price still, making them extremely competitive. The smartest move, in our opinion, for Rust-oleum would have been to keep the original brand and return to a female valve system at a lower competitive price point, the ultimate nod to the community without pandering, but instead we got the new “RUST-O”.
To be competitive, It would be beneficial to offer a much lower price to compete with major spray paint brands, especially considering our current administration’s tariff policies. With the company being a US made product, the brand power and recognition they already have could make this an easy sell.
Other ideas to remain competitive and relevant would be artist backed events and sponsorships, giving grants for artists to fund community projects, or holding Mural festivals. These give artists opportunities to not only feature their work, but have a direct connection and collaborate with such a large name brand. Creating custom cans/colors for artists, much like brewery collaboration with artist on can designs, could give the brand a more authentic feel but also boost favor among artists. These ideas could open Rust-oleum up to offering a percentage of the sales as royalties for brand collaborations or even simple moves like making custom colors for popular and respected artist, similar to Molotow’s “Geser Black Red”
Furthermore, deriving a community of, or outsourcing real, legitimate writers and artists to give feedback and work together to continue to further develop RUST-O would be a key success factor in any brand looking to find a authentic representation within their community.
Ultimately, Does This Talk of Authenticity Really Matter to The Culture?
Authenticity matters to our culture because as artists, being our true selves allows us to live in alignment with others who share those same outlooks and values. It promotes trust and builds stronger connections between all who choose to participate.
One can see a single tag and immediately derive whether the author knows what he's doing and why, so why wouldn’t we expect the same from the brands we shop- if you’re going to be a part of the culture, then actually be a part of the community and show that you’re really down for it, no matter what. You can't just show up and expect full throttle support, when you’ve snubbed the same people for years.
Will writers support this new product? With its initial launch only online and in select retailers, mostly in BFE Smalltown USA, only time will tell whether this new part of the Rust-oleum brand will flounder or flourish.
Drop your thoughts in the comments below, We’d love to know what you think about this recent release.
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