BBH Sets the Tone for Dulux

In our recent client profile on Dulux it was pointed out that the brand is now taking a different approach both to its advertising and to its treatment of colour and new this spot from BBH London and Park Pictures directing team Christian & Patrick is a case in point.

Based on the idea that our lives are stories and that colour can change the way they unfold, the new campaign adopts a more emotional approach than previous adverts. Taking stylistic cues from prohibition America, the film tells the story of a couple who find love through colour and demonstrates the transformative power that colour has on people’s lives.

Below Nick Allsop, the creative director on the project, and agency producer Georgina Kent, talk about the thinking behind this film, its inspirations and how they coped with shooting in Johannesburg at the time of Nelson Mandela's death.

What was the brief from the client for this campaign? 

Allsop: To inspire people to paint with Dulux by making them see the power of colour to renew more than just their walls.

Tell us a little bit about the idea behind this film; where did the inspiration come from? 

Allsop: Films like Road To Perdition, Lawless, The Changeling and The Great Gatsby [below].

The brand’s line ‘Let’s Colour’ is one that allows for a lot of scope; can that be a blessing and a curse when coming up with an idea? 

Allsop: We use it more as a call to action, to make people get up and start painting, so it sits with almost any campaign thought. It's our 'Just Do It'.

The brand has, in recent campaigns, moved from the practical use of paint to an emotional response to colour; why was that decision made? 

Allsop: In times of recession, when people couldn't afford to move, we wanted to show them a small, achievable, affordable change could make a big difference.

With the housing market looking up, our role is to inspire people in a more expansive way, to make them see the emotional benefits of colour.

You shot in Johannesburg, why did you decide to shoot there? 

Kent: We wanted the look and feel to be as authentic as possible and downtown Jo'burg has a wealth of beautiful, virtually unspoilt architecture that was perfect for the era we all had in mind. That, and of course the weather that didn't always work in our favour!

It was quite a difficult shoot because Nelson Mandela passed away while you were there; can you tell us a bit about that experience?

Kent: It was such a unprecedented event that none of us knew what would happen. First and foremost we needed to let the country grieve so that meant taking things one day at a time and gently & sympathetically feeling our way along while in the background trying to work out what our plan was.

Pushing the shoot post-Christmas was not an option. Monkey, our local service company, and Park Pictures were instrumental in helping us minimise the impact to the client and production as a whole.

It was naturally a sad time but I think we all felt extremely honoured and humbled to be able to witness first-hand the celebration of Mandela extraordinary life and legacy.

Apart from that, what was the most difficult aspect of the shoot?

Kent: Time. We had a phenomenal amount to get through in too few days.

The ‘Dulux dog’ in only in the spot briefly but why is that character such an enduring one and what does it bring to the brand?

Allsop: He's there in a Alfred Hitchcock-style cameo! Actually, he has an important role in the campaign: in a world where colour is banned, the Dulux dog would be a fugitive - hence there's a 'wanted' poster for him hidden in the earlier part of the ad.

Then, when colour comes back to the city at the end, he's on a rooftop barking excitedly. Look out for him in later executions of the campaign as well.

What did directing team Christian and Patrick bring to the project?

Allsop: The most important thing Patrick and Christian brought to this project was a clear vision of how we could make this period-set idea modern and relevant: namely, by filming a black and white painted world with colour cameras.

This allowed for the colour of the paint, rather than grading trickery, to bring joy to the world at the end. Their amazing design skills, in-depth research and knowledge of film really helped as well. 

What can we expect next from Dulux? 

Allsop: More films in the same campaign, exploring other aspects of the world of colour prohibition, and our heroine's budding romance with her dashing neighbour.

What’s your favourite colour? 

Allsop: Unfortunately, it's a beautiful dark grey by Dulux called Bowler Hat!