Montana Colors VS Montana Cans: The Story of the Two Montana Brand

Why are there two Montanas? Discover the legal war between Spanish Montana and German Montana brands and how Montana Colors became MTN to defend its authentic history.

Anyone who has stepped into the world of graffiti has asked the same question while looking at the shelves: why are there two different spray cans with the same name? On one side, there is the Spanish "Montana Colors" from Barcelona; on the other, the German "Montana Cans." This isn’t just a story of simple competition, but a chronicle of how a brand born for writers had to flee from its own name to survive a hostile takeover.

1994: Where It All Began

The story starts in Barcelona in 1994. Jordi Rubio, a visionary working in the paint industry, understood before anyone else that graffiti wasn’t a passing hobby, but a movement in need of specific tools. Alongside Miquel Galea, he founded Montana Colors, creating the world’s first spray can designed specifically for the needs of writers. Before that moment, writers had to adapt to automotive or DIY paints—products with poor coverage and low reliability that often failed when it mattered most. Montana Colors was born to transform the spray can from a generic product into a professional tool, ensuring high coverage, speed, and reliability. Finally, writers had a quality spray that truly answered their needs.

The Betrayal and the "Name War"

Conflict erupted when the success of Montana Colors began to weigh on the European market, catching the attention of Motip-Dupli, a German giant in the spray paint industry. Instead of pursuing a transparent collaboration, Motip-Dupli worked in tandem with the German distributor of Montana Colors at the time, essentially offering a promise: to give him control of the "new" brand in Germany in exchange for betraying the original.

Jordi Rubio describes this move as a "knockout and replacement" strategy: eliminate the original and replace it with a German-made version. To do this, they used an aggressive legal maneuver. Motip-Dupli acquired a trademark from an old paint company called Farbo AG, which had registered "Montana" decades earlier without ever using it for graffiti.

Through this legal loophole, the German company claimed ownership of the name Montana, launching the brand Montana Cans. This sparked a battle fought in courtrooms, through pressure on suppliers, and smear campaigns aimed at suffocating the small Barcelona-based company, Montana Colors.

The Birth of MTN: A Choice for Survival

In order to avoid collapsing under the weight of unsustainable legal fees and commercial blockades, Montana Colors took a historic step. To protect their products and their community, they chose to register the acronym MTN as their primary brand, while keeping Montana Colors as the name of the parent company.

This is why we see the MTN logo on the original cans from Barcelona today: it wasn't a design choice, but the scar of a war won by staying true to their integrity.

Comparing Two Philosophies

Despite the similar names, the two brands have deeply different roots and technical systems. MTN has continued to develop its range based on the direct needs of the street. MTN Hardcore remains the benchmark for those seeking high pressure, a glossy finish, and execution speed.

MTN 94, launched in 2008, revolutionized the concept of control with its low pressure and matte finish, taking its name from the founding year of the Spanish company. These are joined by specialist products like Nitro 2G, capable of perfectly covering chrome and silver, and the Water Based line, which brings high coverage and precision to the world of water-based spray paint.

Every paint formula, valve, and cap in the MTN system is designed as a precision weapon for the writer, far removed from the logic of market speculation.

The Original Montana Spray Cans in Italy

The history of Montana MTN is inextricably linked to SPECTRUM. Since 2004, originally under the name Graffitishop, SPECTRUM has been the official and exclusive distributor for the Italian market. This partnership has allowed Italian writers constant access to the original Montana Colors sprays from Barcelona, keeping the connection alive with the company that first gave a voice to the writing movement.