Dulux's novel campaign

Bram Stoker's Dracula, George Orwell's 1984, HG Wells' War of the Worlds... all books that use words to paint timeless, classic stories in our heads. 

Now, Dulux Heritage Editions has used actual paint to redesign the covers for these books, and nine other literary classics.

Ogilvy UK is the agency behind the campaign, and the covers, Ogilvy says, "have been reimagined using the brand’s hues to create an entirely new way of choosing colour. The books’ emotional narratives have been analysed and then matched to Dulux Heritage’s colours that evoke the same mood and feelings."

Each cover was created by a different creative or artists, including Ogilvy's award-winning Head of Design, Dave Towers, and were painted by hand to demonstrate the genuine application of paint, then shot by renown liquid photographer Jonathan Knowles. The spines of each book also act as paint swatches while the inside covers showcase the wider range on offer.  The campaign also drew on Ogilvy UK’s Behavioural Science division to analyse the emotional impact of colour. 

“Our living spaces are constantly in flux, an ever-changing reflection of who we are," said Jules Chalkley, Chief ECD at Ogilvy UK. "But, the way we pick paint hasn’t evolved in decades. We’re stuck in a glossy rut of colour swatches and daft sounding names. But colour holds deep and evocative powers and we wanted to find a new dimension in unleashing the visceral emotion it delivers. By simply equating the feelings and images a classic book paints in our minds to the beautiful colours of the Dulux Heritage range, we were able to tap into something far richer. Using a colour specialist, behavioural science and turbo charging 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 colour.” 

"A dream design brief," added Towers, and Amy Gordon, Ogilvy's Senior Designer. "Each concept was explored digitally first, but always with the ultimate intention of creating the visuals for real with Dulux Heritage paint. We indulged and revelled in the craft. Dulux Heritage paint was brushed, flicked, rolled, splattered, dropped and sprayed to capture a serendipitous moment that illustrated a theme from the book. An absolute privilege to be involved in such a wonderful project, working with a truly incredible team."