Dulux

A Dulux paint can

Dulux is an internationally available brand of paint. It is produced by AkzoNobel (formerly Imperial Chemical Industries). The brand name Dulux has been used by both ICI and DuPont since 1931 and was one of the first alkyd-based paints.

History

In the early days of its existence, decorators and their suppliers were the main customers for Dulux, with Say Dulux to your decorator used as an advertising slogan in the 1950s. By 1953, Dulux was available in the retail market and ten years later the famous Old English Sheepdog was used in advertisements, to the point where "Dulux dog" has become a common nickname for the breed. The name Dulux is derived from the words DuPont and Luxury.

The Let's Colour Project

In 2010, along side Dulux Valentine, Coral and Marshall, Dulux launched the Let's Colour Project.^[1][2] A global movement which called communities around the world to paint grey public spaces with bright colours. The initiative first went to Brazil with a group of volunteers painting the Lapa Stairs in Rio de Janeiro in March 2010.^[3] This was followed by the community painting event at the Virginia Primary School in Tower Hamlets.^[4] It then went to Purohiton Ki Haveli community square in Jodhpur.^[5] These painting events were filmed and captured in a tv commercial 'Dulux Walls' directed by Adam Berg and documentaries on their YouTube Channel. The colour movement has since travelled through France, China, Turkey, South Africa and the Netherlands, and continues colouring public spaces all over the globe. The project is captured on the Let's Colour Project Blog which also acts as an interesting catalogue of all things colour.

Dulux dog

An Old English Sheepdog, mascot for the Dulux brand since the 1960s

The Old English Sheepdog is the brand mascot for Dulux paint. The dog was first introduced in advertising campaigns in 1961. Since then they have been a constant and highly popular feature of Dulux television and print adverts wherever the paint is sold. So much so, that many people in those markets refer to the breed as a 'Dulux dog' rather than a Sheepdog.

Over the years, different dogs have appeared in the adverts. However, they all look very similar, partially as a result of most of them being selected from a closely related line of pedigree dogs. The first Dulux dog was Shepton Dash, who held the role for eight years. His successor, Fernville Lord Digby, was the most famous Dulux dog and also made his owner, Cynthia Harrison, famous. When filming advertisements, Digby was treated like a star, being driven to the studio in a chauffeur driven car. Barbara Woodhouse was employed to train Digby and his three stunt doubles, who were used whenever specific tricks or actions needed to be filmed.

Gambit - another Dulux dog, was used in a photographic shoot in 1980 for Philips Video and its new generation of video recorders. By the time the shoot was finished there was enough hair to fill a mattress - the dog was constantly groomed during the shoot.

Apart from Dash, all the Dulux dogs have been breed champions, and five of them have won 'Best in Show' prizes.

Dulux in Australia and New Zealand

In Australia and New Zealand, Dulux has been involved with the manufacture and marketing of paint and related systems in since 1918, and is the largest manufacturer of paint products in Australia. Dulux Australia was a key player in the ICI Paints World Group, until in 1997 ICI PLC informed ICI Australia of its intention to sell its concern. This decision led ICI Australia to be renamed on February 2, 1998 to Orica Australia Limited. In Australia and New Zealand Dulux was wholly owned by Orica until July 2010, when DuluxGroup (ASX: DLX) was spun off as a separate company. Scottish band Fairground Attraction's song "Perfect" was used for an advertisement on TV.

The current TV advertisements feature the Dulux Dog and several hundred other Old English Sheepdogs racing around collecting cricket stumps, drum sticks, wooden spoons and sticks and other items to stir a newly opened pot of Dulux Wash and Wear.^[6] The music used is "I Woke Up Today" by American band Port O'Brien from the album "All We Could Do Was Sing".^[7]

Dulux Decorator Centre

In the UK, there is a chain of over 190 stores called the Dulux Decorator Centre.^[8]

References

1. ^ "Lets Colour Project". Lets Colour Project. http://www.letscolourproject.com/. Retrieved 2010-12-23. 
2. ^ "article on Let's Colour Project". We Heart. 2010-05-28. http://www.weheart.co.uk/2010/05/28/dulux-%E2%80%98let%E2%80%99s-colour%E2%80%99-project-video/. Retrieved 2010-12-23. 
3. ^ Lets Colour Project - Brazil
4. ^ "United Kingdom". Lets Colour Project. 2010-03-27. http://www.letscolourproject.com/events/united-kingdom/. Retrieved 2010-12-23. 
5. ^ "India". Lets Colour Project. 2010-04-04. http://www.letscolourproject.com/events/india/. Retrieved 2010-12-23. 
6. ^ Dulux TV ads
7. ^ "Port O'Brien Myspace". Myspace.com. http://www.myspace.com/portobrien. Retrieved 2010-12-23. 
8. ^ "Our Stores". Duluxdecoratorcentre.co.uk. http://www.duluxdecoratorcentre.co.uk/instore/index.jsp. Retrieved 2010-12-23. 

External links

• Dulux UK
• Dulux Decorator Centre (UK)
• Dulux Ireland
• Dulux South Africa
• Dulux Vietnam
• Dulux Australia
• Dulux New Zealand
• Dulux India
• Dulux 'Let's Colour' advert (on Youtube)

Duluxdecorator.co.uk