Paint Earns Dutch Boy A Plug

Dutch Boy Paints, a subsidiary of Cleveland’s Sherwin-Williams Co., is donating about $75,000 worth of paint and expertise to recoat the famous, and oh-so-recognizable, “HOLLYWOOD” sign on the hillside above the city made famous by movie stars.

It will take 200 gallons of paint, and an average of six painters working 22 days to paint the nine 45-foot-high letters.

The painting began April 10 and is expected to be finished in two weeks, said Shelly Walk, Dutch Boy’s director of marketing communications.

“We are painting the most famous national landmark other than the White House,” Walk said. “It’s seen on television almost any day. It’s seen in movies. We look at it as an opportunity for Dutch Boy to show our product.”

Dutch Boy is, of course, getting something in return - permission to use the HOLLYWOOD sign in upcoming advertising that will focus on the durability of Dutch Boy paint. In addition, the company plans to call its white “Hollywood White.”