The person behind a popular paint-mixing TikTok account was fired from their part-time job at Sherwin-Williams after the company discovered the videos.
@tonesterpaints is run by Tony Piloseno, an Ohio University senior who uploads surprisingly soothing videos of him mixing paint during slower hours. Piloseno created his first paint-mixing video in December 2019.
@tonesterpaints
Over time, his posts began getting millions of views. Like this one with more than 26.6 million views, where he puts a Dixie cup of orange paint in the paint bucket before mixing.
@tonesterpaints sponsored by dixie cup #DontLeaveMe SNOOZZZAPALOOZA #paint #colors #art #satisfying
Piloseno not only loved the multiple years at the job but also encouraged Sherwin-Williams to use his TikTok fame as a marketing opportunity for the brand. He even put together a pitch deck on how Sherwin-Williams could attract a younger audience through a TikTok presence.
@tonesterpaints best paint account on tiktok PERIODT SNOOZZZAPALOOZA #art #BehindTheSong FeelTheFlip #satisfying
♬ Only One (Originally Performed by Nicki Minaj Ft. Drake) – Studio One Project
“I loved the job immediately,” he said. “I love how colors blend together, what goes with what… It’s hard to explain, but I really enjoy mixing paint. I like showing what stuff it can do.”
His ideas, which were presented in spring 2020, went over well… at first. Then he was ghosted by his contacts and — after trying to connect with the contact for two months — eventually shrugged off.
In July, the company fired Piloseno. The reason? They didn’t like his experimental takes or that he was filming the videos while on the clock. Even though an account that solely featured the brand’s paint received a total of 24 million likes and millions more views.
@tonesterpaints Dior Blue #paint #animethings #paint #glitter #art #satisfying #DogsOfTikTok FeelTheFlip
“They first accused me of stealing — I told them I purchased all my paint,” he told BuzzFeed News. “They made me answer a bunch of questions like when I was doing this, where, if there was anyone in the store while I was doing [filming]. There was never anyone with me while I was doing it.”
Sherwin-Williams was particularly fussy over Piloseno’s video where he put a blueberry in paint.
@tonesterpaints organic paint #paint #ColorCustomizer #berries #satisfying #art #FashionFavorites #fun #art #homerenovation
BuzzFeed News reached out to Sherwin-Williams to ask what’s up and the news outlet learned the investigation against Piloseno was launched due to a customer complaint.
That’s not stopping Piloseno from running his successful account. He’s utilizing a friend’s basement to mix paint and now shops at Lowe’s. Sherwin-Williams’ loss.
On Twitter many people were shocked that. Sherwin-Williams would fire someone who had elevated their brand on TikTok:
Sherwin-Williams found out it employed one of the few millennials who was truly passionate about their job and fired him for it. https://t.co/Vi9eumynk9
— Matt Ford (@fordm) November 23, 2020
imagine having an employee make a viral tiktok account that is basically high-value free marketing for your brand/making the brand cool + recognizable to people under 50 and then…firing that person rather than promoting them https://t.co/tREuyQ1qoL
— rachel syme (@rachsyme) November 23, 2020
Case Study: How to Botch Gen Z Social Media Marketing by @SherwinWilliams: Ohio University senior who worked part-time at a local Sherwin-Williams store was fired after discovering his popular paint-mixing TikTok channel w/ over 1.2 million followers.https://t.co/TVzEYwFOKo
— George T Bundy (@GTBundy) November 19, 2020
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