Dulux
July 8, 2023
Dulux is an internationally available brand of architectural paint that originated in the United Kingdom.
There are 333 Dulux Paint locations in Canada.
“Say Dulux to your decorator“
In the 1950s, decorators and their suppliers were the main customers for Dulux paint and by 1953, it became available to the retail market so anyone could buy Dulux paint to refresh their home.
“The Dulux Dog”
In 1961 the company began using an Old English Sheepdog in its advertisements. The ads were so popular that the “Dulux dog” has become a common nickname for the breed.
The first Dulux dog named Shepton Daphnis Horsa, known as Dash, was owned by Eva Sharp in Tottenham. Dash held the role for eight years. He was succeeded by Fernville Lord Digby, owned by Cynthia and Norman Harrison. Fernville Lord Digby was the most famous Dulux dog who also made his owners, Cynthia and Norman Harrison, famous.
In 1980, Gambit, another Dulux dog, was used in a photographic shoot for Philips Video. With its long hair, the dog had to be constantly groomed and, by the time the shoot was finished, there was enough hair to fill a mattress.
Apart from Dash, all the Dulux dogs have been breed champions, and five of them have won ‘Best in Show’ prizes.
The name Dulux is derived from the words Durable and Luxury.
“Let’s Colour Project”
A global marketing campaign known as the Let’s Colour Project was launched in the spring of 2010. Working together with local communities, Dulux’s mission was to spread colour around the world. Across the globe, people rolled up their sleeves to paint streets, houses, schools and other buildings with bright and cheerful colours.
Dulux in Australia and New Zealand
Since 1904, Dulux in Australia and New Zealand, has been involved with the manufacture and marketing of paint and related products and is the largest manufacturer of paint products in Australia.
In 1919, the British Australian Lead Manufacturers (BALM) purchased the Australasian United Paint Company for £40,000. The company became BALM Paints In the 1950s. A survey showed that the Australian public did not know what BALM Paints was and, given that everyone knew Dulux, the company name was changed to Dulux Australia in 1971.
In 1988, Dulux acquired British and Berger Paints and in1996, it acquired Cabot’s.
In December 2012, the Dulux decorative paint business in Canada was sold to the PPG Architectural Coatings division of PPG Industries.
In August 2019, DuluxGroup was acquired by Nippon Paint and delisted from the Australian Securities Exchange.
Dulux in the United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, there are now over 200 branches of the retail chain known as Dulux Decorator Centres, operated by AkzoNobel. The branches are primarily in England, with more than twenty in Scotland, six in Wales and four in Northern Ireland. It is also a supplier of decorating accessories, wallpaper and workwear from a large number of other manufacturers.
Gloria Sauvé
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