During the Covid-19 pandemic, interest in painting and home decorating soared but many consumers perceived the Dulux brand as too expensive. Dulux needed to do something big to win over its target audience. MediaCom and Channel 4 brought back Changing Rooms, the original juggernaut of redecorating TV entertainment, with Dulux paint as the star of the show.
Changing Rooms was officially the biggest ad funded programme (AFP) launch for Channel 4 ever. Dulux paints were naturally integrated into each episode’s storyline. In episode one, flamboyant presenter Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen’s ‘Forever Peacocky’ renovation vision was embodied by teals and corals. These paint reveals were talked about and became a cultural moment, covered on GoggleBox not once but twice.
The Dulux brand idents matched the colours revealed in each week’s show and the idea did not stop at the AFP alone. It was a multi-touchpoint solution that spanned across a system of channels including AV, digital, social influencers, PR, point of sale and the Dulux website. At point of sale, customers could access a tangible Changing Rooms experience using IP from the show, so they could have a similar paint reveal moment in store before purchase.
Consideration for Dulux jumped considerably for those that watched the show, and sales of Dulux rose. The perception that Dulux was a brand worth paying more for also increased. Judges said bringing back Changing Rooms was a ‘simple but audacious move’.
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