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The Dulux logo

Dulux is an internationally available brand of paint. It is produced by AkzoNobel (formerly Imperial Chemical Industries) although the US markets are now served by PPG. The brand name Dulux has been used by both ICI and DuPont since 1931 and was one of the first alkyd-based paints.


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 the famous Old English Sheepdog was used in advertisements, to the point where "Dulux dog" has become a common nickname for the breed.

The name Dulux is derived from the words DuPont and Luxury.

In 2010, alongside Dulux Valentine, Coral and Marshall, Dulux launched the 'Let's Colour Project',[1][2] a global marketing campaign featuring the painting of public spaces with bright colours.

Dulux dog[edit]

An Old English Sheepdog, mascot for the Dulux brand since the 1960s

The Old English Sheepdog is the brand 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, owned by Eva Sharp in Tottenham. His successor, Fernville Lord Digby, was the most famous Dulux dog and also made his owner, Cynthia & Norman Harrison, famous. When filming advertisements, Digby was treated like a star, being driven to the studio in a chauffeur driven car. Barbara Woodhouse was employed to train Digby and his three stunt doubles, 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.

Gambit - another Dulux dog, was used in a photographic shoot in 1980 for Philips Video and its new generation of video recorders. By the time the shoot was finished there was enough hair to fill a mattress - the dog was constantly groomed during the shoot. King Hotspur of Amblegait was used from 1974 to 1979 and appeared in over 50 television programmes as well as his public appearances for ICI/Dulux.

Apart from Dash, all the Dulux dogs have been breed champions, and five of them have won 'Best in Show' prizes.

The Dulux dog was placed at No. 51 in Channel 4's '100 Greatest TV Ads'.

Dulux in Australia and New Zealand[edit]

In Australia and New Zealand, Dulux has been involved with the manufacture and marketing of paint and related systems in since 1918, and is the largest manufacturer of paint products in Australia. Dulux Australia was a key player in the ICI Paints World Group, until in 1997 ICI PLC informed ICI Australia of its intention to sell its concern. This decision led ICI Australia to be renamed on 2 February 1998 to Orica Australia Limited. In Australia and New Zealand, Dulux was wholly owned by Orica until July 2010, when DuluxGroup (ASXDLX) was spun off as a separate company. Fairground Attraction's song "Perfect" was used for an advertisement on TV.

The current TV advertisements feature the Dulux Dog and several hundred other Old English Sheepdogs racing around collecting cricket stumps, drum sticks, wooden spoons and sticks and other items to stir a newly opened pot of Dulux Wash and Wear.[3] The music used is "I Woke Up Today" by American band Port O'Brien from the album "All We Could Do Was Sing".[4]

Dulux in the United States[edit]

The Dulux decorative paint business in the United States was sold to the Pittsburgh Paints division of PPG Industries in 2012.

Dulux Decorator Centres[edit]

In the UK, there's a chain of over 190 stores called the Dulux Decorator Centres.[5]

Dulux Select Decorators[edit]

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.[6]

Dulux Trade Contract Partnership[edit]

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.[7]


  1. ^ "Lets Colour Project". Lets Colour Project. Retrieved 23 December 2010. 
  2. ^ "article on Let's Colour Project". We Heart. 28 May 2010. Retrieved 23 December 2010. 
  3. ^ Dulux TV ads
  4. ^ "Port O'Brien Myspace". Myspace.com. Retrieved 23 December 2010. 
  5. ^ "Our Stores". dulux.co.uk. Retrieved 23 December 2010. 
  6. ^ "Why it pays to hire a professional". Duluxdecoratorcentre.co.uk. Retrieved 30 April 2014. 
  7. ^ "Welcome". dulux.co.uk. Retrieved 23 December 2010. 

External links[edit]