Dulux Splashes Classic Novels With Color In Reimagined, Hand-Painted Covers
By Mikelle Leow, 09 Apr 2024
Images via Ogilvy UK
Dulux, the international home paint brand, and Ogilvy UK have joined forces in a colorful new chapter telling of a sweet encounter between literature and interior design. Together, they’ve created Heritage Editions, which sees the narratives of 12 iconic novels such as Sense and Sensibility and Dracula captured in the hues of the Dulux Heritage luxury paint collection.
The series distills the emotional qualities of Moby-Dick, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Little Women, Dracula, Mrs Dalloway, Wuthering Heights, Sense and Sensibility, Frankenstein, 12 Years A Slave, Nineteen Eighty-Four, War of the Worlds, and The Hound of Baskervilles into individual palettes. Mrs Dalloway’s “passion and vulnerability,” for example, is depicted in the dusty rose tones of DH Blossom. The moody themes of Frankenstein, on the other hand, are foreshadowed in Dark Stone.
Each visual homage is painted by hand, serving as both a piece of art and a readable color swatch for homeowners looking to infuse their spaces with their favorite tales.
This page-turning approach aims to ease the often overwhelming process of selecting paint colors by grounding the decision in the emotional narratives familiar to many. Jules Chalkley, Ogilvy UK’s chief executive creative director, emphasizes the stagnation in traditional paint selection methods and the potential of color to evoke deep emotions, mirroring the impact of a powerful story. This collaboration involves Ogilvy UK’s graphic designer Dave Towers, its Behavioral Science division, liquid photographer Jonathan Knowles, and Dulux Heritage’s creative team, led by Dulux’s creative director Marianne Shillingford.
“Our living spaces are constantly in flux, an ever-changing reflection of who we are. But, the way we pick paint hasn’t evolved in decades. We’re stuck in a glossy rut of color swatches and daft-sounding names,” expresses Chalkley. “But color holds deep and evocative powers and we wanted to find a new dimension in unleashing the visceral emotion it delivers.”
Chalkley adds: “By simply equating the feelings and images a classic book paints in our minds to the beautiful colors of the Dulux Heritage range, we were able to tap into something far richer. Using a color specialist, behavioral science, and turbocharging it through illustration, photography, and design, we were able to find a dramatic new visual language and creative experience and a whole new means of bringing to life the feeling of color.”
The campaign stretches across various platforms, including print, social media, and outdoor advertising, culminating in a limited-edition reprint of the featured books. It even extends into the auditory realm with celebrity host-reads on popular podcasts and partnerships with influential figures like BBC Radio 2’s Sara Cox and YouTuber Jack Edwards.
[via The Drum, Roast Brief, Little Black Book, images via various sources]