Dulux turns to the classics to draw up colour palette

Dulux Heritage has reimagined the covers of 12 literary classics – ranging from War of the Worlds, Dracula and Moby Dick to 1984, Little Women and Frankenstein – in a campaign designed to create an entirely new way to choose colour.

The nationwide campaign, devised by Ogilvy UK, includes print, out of home, social, influencer, Pinterest and Meta activations, and includes a limited-edition reprint of the set of 12 books, all crafted by an array of specialists, creatives and artists.

These include Ogilvy UK’s graphic designer Dave Towers, its behavioural science division, which analysed the emotional impact of colours, renown liquid photographer Jonathan Knowles and Dulux Heritage’s creative team, led by Dulux’s creative director Marianne Shillingford.

Each book’s emotional narrative has been analysed and matched to hues that evoke the same mood and feelings. The covers were created by hand to demonstrate the genuine application of paint. Each book has also been physically curated and produced to amplify the Dulux Heritage brand. The spines act as paint swatches and the inside covers showcase the Dulux Heritage wider range to offer utility as well as inspiration to consumers.

Marianne Shillingford said: “Nothing is more rewarding than when a great idea meets a great team of people. Every Dulux Heritage colour has rich story to tell that evokes a feeling and by pairing 12 classic colours with 12 classic books, the feelings they evoke are deliciously heightened.

“This has been one of the very best truly collaborative and enjoyable projects I have ever worked on as creative director of Dulux and best of all it gave me the opportunity to put my painting skills to the test in executing each of the inspired book cover designs Ogilvy captured so perfectly.”

The PR activity, led by Cirkle, includes Acast celebrity host-reads on leading podcasts including Happy Place and Table Manners, and amplification through influencer activity and a partnership with BBC Radio 2 DJ and author Sara Cox. There will also be content from YouTuber Jack Edwards and others. The campaign was developed alongside Media Hub, and Essence Mediacom.