Think Pink: How Owens-Corning Turned Insulation Color into a TrademarkJune 23, 2026

There is no better way to celebrate National Pink Day than to highlight one of the most famous pieces of intellectual property: Owens-Corning’s trademark for the color “pink” on insulation

Few trademark stories are as visually memorable as Owens-Corning’s pink insulation. The product is ordinary in function—fiberglass insulation used in homes and buildings—but Owens-Corning used extraordinary branding featuring everyone’s favorite cartoon panther, The Pink Panther. By consistently presenting its insulation in a distinctive pink color and teaching customers to associate that color with a single source, Owens-Corning helped establish one of the most important principles in modern trademark law: in the right circumstances, even a single color can function as a trademark.

Color as a Trademark

Trademark law protects words, names, symbols, devices, and other indicators that identify the source of goods or services. A color is not automatically protectable simply because a company uses it. Unlike a coined word or distinctive logo, a color is generally viewed as decorative or ornamental at first. To become protectable, the color must acquire “secondary meaning,” meaning that relevant consumers have come to understand the color as identifying one company rather than merely decorating the product.

A color mark also cannot be functional. If a color makes a product work better, reduces manufacturing cost, affects quality, or gives competitors a significant non-reputation-related disadvantage, trademark law generally will not allow one company to control it. This prohibition is meant to prevent trademark rights from becoming a substitute for patent-like protection over useful product features.

Why Pink Insulation Matters

The pink insulation trademark remains a leading example because it shows both the promise and the limits of nontraditional trademark protection. The mark is powerful because the color is simple, consistent, and memorable. But it is also narrow. Owens-Corning does not own the color pink for every product or every industry. Its rights are tied to the specific commercial context in which consumers associate pink with Owens-Corning insulation.

Practical Lessons for Brand Owners

• Use the color consistently across products, packaging, advertising, and point-of-sale materials.
• Promote the color as a brand identity, not merely as decoration.
• Educate your consumers to “look for” the color when making purchasing decisions.
• Build evidence of consumer recognition, such as advertising history, sales figures, media references, and survey evidence.
• Avoid claiming colors that serve a functional purpose or that competitors need to use to compete fairly.
• Define the mark carefully by tying the color to specific goods or services and a specific manner of use.

Andrew Morgan is a Trademark Attorney in the Trademark & Copyright Practice Group at McKee, Voorhees & Sease, PLC (MVS).  For additional information please visit www.ipmvs.com or contact Andrew directly via email at andrew.morgan@ipmvs.com.