
Dulux is an internationally-available brand of
architectural paint that originated from the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
. The brand name Dulux has been used by both
Imperial Chemical Industries
Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) was a British Chemical industry, chemical company. It was, for much of its history, the largest manufacturer in Britain. Its headquarters were at Millbank in London. ICI was listed on the London Stock Exchange ...
(ICI) and
DuPont
Dupont, DuPont, Du Pont, duPont, or du Pont may refer to:
People
* Dupont (surname) Dupont, also spelled as DuPont, duPont, Du Pont, or du Pont is a French surname meaning "of the bridge", historically indicating that the holder of the surname re ...
since 1931 and was one of the first
alkyd-based paints. It is produced by
AkzoNobel (originally produced by
ICI prior to 2008) although the
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
n market is now served by
Pittsburgh Paints Company.
On October 17, 2024, PPG announced its plan to sell its Dulux brand in Canada to
American Industrial Partners as part of a broader $550 million deal.
History
ICI Paints was formed in 1926. The Dulux paint brand was introduced in 1931.
The name Dulux is derived from the words Durable and Luxury.
In the early days of its existence, decorators and their suppliers were the main customers for Dulux, with ''Say Dulux to your decorator'' used as an advertising slogan in the 1950s. By 1953, Dulux was available in the retail market and ten years later an
Old English Sheepdog was used in advertisements, to the point where "Dulux dog" has become a common nickname for the breed.
Dulux had a market share in the United Kingdom of around 25 percent according to research by
Kantar Group.
Dulux dog
The Old English Sheepdog is the
brand
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's goods or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create and ...
mascot for Dulux paint. The dog was first introduced in advertising campaigns in 1961. Since then they have been a constant and highly popular feature of Dulux television and print adverts wherever the paint is sold. So much so, that many people in those markets refer to the breed as a 'Dulux dog' rather than a Sheepdog. Over the years, different dogs have appeared in the adverts. However, they all look very similar, due to the carefully managed selection process carried out by ICI's advertising agency. The first Dulux dog was ''Shepton Daphnis Horsa'', pet name Dash, who held the role for eight years.
His successor, ''Fernville Lord Digby'', was the most famous Dulux dog and also made his owners, Cynthia and Norman Harrison, famous. When filming advertisements, Digby was treated like a star, being driven to the studio in a
chauffeur
A chauffeur () is a person employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or a limousine.
Initially, such drivers were often personal employees of the vehicle owner, but this has changed to s ...
driven car.
Barbara Woodhouse was employed to train Digby and his three
stunt double
In filmmaking, a double is a person who substitutes for another actor such that the person's face is not shown. There are various terms associated with a double based on the specific body part or ability they serve as a double for, such as stunt ...
s, who were used whenever specific tricks or actions needed to be filmed. Digby's popularity led him to play the title role in the 1973 British comedy film ''
Digby, the Biggest Dog in the World''.
King Hotspur of Amblegait was used from 1974 to 1979 and appeared in over fifty television programmes as well as his public appearances for ICI/Dulux.
[
]
Dulux in Australia and New Zealand
In Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
and New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
, Dulux has been involved with the manufacture and marketing of paint and related products since 1904 and is the largest manufacturer of paint products in Australia.
Dulux had its origins in H. L. Vosz, a large glass fabrication business and Australia's first major paint manufacturer. In 1912, the Australasian United Paint Company Limited was founded in South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...
, with an office in Lipson Street, Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide is a port-side region of Adelaide, approximately northwest of the Adelaide city centre, Adelaide CBD. It is also the namesake of the City of Port Adelaide Enfield council, a suburb, a federal and state electoral division and is t ...
, to take over the paint business of H. L. Vosz as a going concern, and over the next few years the factory underwent significant modernization. The glass business continued independently under the Vosz name (although its founder had died nearly 30 years previously), but became Clarkson Ltd in 1915, in response to anti-German sentiment
Anti-German sentiment (also known as anti-Germanism, Germanophobia or Teutophobia) is fear or dislike of Germany, its Germans, people, and its Culture of Germany, culture. Its opposite is Germanophile, Germanophilia.
Anti-German sentiment main ...
.
In 1919, the Australasian United Paint Co was purchased for £40,000 by British Australian Lead Manufacturers, a consortium of British white lead manufacturers, with their Australian office in Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
or in Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
. The company became BALM Paints In the 1950s, it opened a new factory and Central Research Labs in Clayton, Victoria.
Taking its cue from survey evidence that the Australian public had no idea what BALM Paints was, but that everyone knew Dulux, the company changed its name in 1971 to Dulux Australia.
By the 1990s, the Australian paint market was dominated by Wattyl, Taubmans and Dulux.
Until 1997, Dulux Australia was a key player in the ICI Paints World Group, after which ICI informed ICI Australia of its intention to sell its 62% share in the company as part of raising the capital needed for acquisition of part of Unilever
Unilever PLC () is a British multinational consumer packaged goods company headquartered in London, England. It was founded on 2 September 1929 following the merger of Dutch margarine producer Margarine Unie with British soap maker Lever B ...
. The former ICI Australia became an independent company on 2 February 1998 and was named Orica. In Australia and New Zealand, Dulux was wholly owned by Orica until July 2010, when DuluxGroup was spun off as a separate company on the Australian Securities Exchange
Australian Securities Exchange Ltd (ASX) is an Australian public company that operates Australia's primary Exchange (organized market), securities exchange, the Australian Securities Exchange (sometimes referred to outside of Australia as, or c ...
. Fairground Attraction's song " Perfect" was used for an advertisement on television.
Dulux Australia was formerly a major player in all paint markets (decorative, automotive, refinish, industrial, powder coatings), but sold off the technical markets (and the Clayton site) to PPG Industries
PPG Industries, Inc. is an American Fortune 500, ''Fortune'' 500 company and global supplier of paints, coatings, and specialty materials. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, PPG operates in more than 70 countries around the globe. By ...
, concentrating on decorative, woodcare and powder coatings, and moving to a new site on Dandenong Road, Clayton, previously owned by Pond's
Pond's is an English brand of beauty and health care products, currently owned by Unilever.
History
Pond's Cream was invented in the United States as a patent medicine by pharmacist Theron T. Pond (1800–1852) of Utica, New York, in 1846. M ...
.
Television advertisements featured the Dulux Dog (Penny), and several hundred other Old English Sheepdogs, racing around collecting cricket stumps, drumsticks, wooden spoons, sticks, and other items, to stir a newly opened pot of Dulux "Wash and Wear" paint. The accompanying music was "I Woke Up Today", by American band Port O'Brien, from the album "All We Could Do Was Sing".
In August 2019, Dulux Group was acquired by Nippon Paint and delisted from the Australian Securities Exchange.
Dulux in Canada
The Dulux decorative paint business In Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
was sold to the PPG Architectural Coatings division of PPG Industries
PPG Industries, Inc. is an American Fortune 500, ''Fortune'' 500 company and global supplier of paints, coatings, and specialty materials. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, PPG operates in more than 70 countries around the globe. By ...
in December 2012.
Dulux Decorator Centre
In the United Kingdom, AkzoNobel operates the trade and retail store chain of Dulux Decorator Centre. There are now over 200 branches, predominantly in England, though there are also branches in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Dulux Select Decorators
The Dulux Select Decorators scheme is a nationwide network of professional decorators. The concept was originated by Dulux in 1996 to assure consumers of high-quality work including a two-year guarantee supported by the leading paint manufacturing brand.
Dulux Trade Contract Partnership
Dulux Trade Contract Partnership is a scheme for independently assessed, quality assured contractors. Dulux Trade Contract Partners undergo regular site visits by independent scheme assessors to monitor standards and to identify opportunities for improvement.
Color of the Year
For more than 20 years, Dulux color experts have been studying global trends and creating the Color of the Year:
* 2025 - ''True Joy™'' - Uplifting bright yellow colour
*2024 - ''Sweet Embrace™'' - Delicate, soft pink colour
References
External links
*
* {{official website, http://www.dulux.com
British brands
Imperial Chemical Industries
1931 introductions
Paints