I’ve always heard the reason why UPS trucks are brown is because the colour hides the dirt. Unlike other more colourful fleets on the road, they can go longer without being washed. Perhaps not the best rationale for selecting a colour to champion your brand, but a practical one nevertheless. I was perplexed when I recently came across a former UPS executive’s explanation about the history of the brown trucks. He told the New York Times that the colour was the “epitome of luxury” when UPS trucks were first painted in 1916. Now, I don't know about you, but I don't associate the colour brown with luxury – gold or black maybe, but not brown.
Fortunately, for a company like UPS, brown implies dependability, stability and trustworthiness; all of which are strong corporate attributes. But at its core, the colour is boring and predictable. How did its association with luxury come to be?
In 1998 UPS trademarked the colour brown, calling it “Pullman Brown” after the Pullman luxury sleeping railcars. Maybe this clue could explain the link between brown and luxury. Pullman sleeping cars were all the rage between 1867 and 1929, built to cater to high-end railway travellers by providing accommodations befitting a luxury hotel. Some sleeping cars cost as much as $20,000 to manufacture – that's $1 million in today’s currency. Decorated with fine upholstery, drapery, sinks made of zinc and brass light fixtures, they made a real statement.
Photo: Stephen Hussar
It just so happens that the exteriors of most Pullman cars were painted forest green, not brown. However, I once saw a restored Pullman in a museum, and I can tell you that the interiors of these sleeping cars are overwhelmingly brown. A luxurious brown. The walls and furniture are crafted from rich, highly-polished Cuban mahogany, whose fine grain emphasizes every detail. It was the interiors of these sleeping cars that oozed luxury, not the exteriors.
During America’s Gilded Age (1870-1900), distinguished restaurants, residences and corporate offices boasting fine wooden interiors signalled the height of luxury. Pullman sleeping cars capitalized on that trend. But like most things, trends end and new styles and materials emerge to redefine the meaning of luxury. It was, in large part, the Great Depression that brought an end to the fancy Pullman sleeping cars.
Brown may have been luxurious one hundred years ago, but not today. If you’ve ever tried to sell your family’s once-prized mahogany dining set, you know what I mean. I think UPS would be wise to stick with the “hides the dirt” story. It’s much easier to understand.