Results and Effectiveness

Consumers embraced our colour challenge and broke the dominant convention of white walls: - Up to 500,000 people witnessed our re-painted landmarks in each of the five cities. - Around 2,000 people posted images of the Dulux home online. - 43 media channels over two months covered the story of Dulux’s colour campaign, creating around 16.8M impressions. This led to: - A 200% increase in brand penetration in target markets. - A 100% increase in awareness. - A 300% sales increase in the Dulux Easy Paint service since launch in Q2 2010.

Creative Execution

Colour affects the way we feel. We used positive colours recommended by psychologists to decorate a touring interior built inside shipping containers. These mysterious boxes were dropped in high-traffic downtown areas in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Curious passers-by began entering and taking photos to share with friends online. Having enjoyed the interior, we wanted them to experience colour on the street. Commuters in the same five cities were transfixed when previously overlooked, traditional buildings were brought to life in Dulux colour. TVCs, print and online then promoted the Dulux Easy Paint hotline, a home re-decoration service that does all the decoration for you.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

China’s current generation is living in a colourless world. Research shows that 80% decorate their homes in white. We had to turn accepted wisdom – that the Chinese are not ready for colour – on its head by inspiring them to bring colour into their environment. But we had to do this in a market that has no DIY culture. So we started by showing them the psychological benefits of colour in the home. Then we surprised them by rejuvenating city buildings, causing thousands to stop and stare as their surroundings were brought to life in fresh, vivid hues.