David Kerr's new spot for Farrow & Ball laughs at the age-old dilemma of choosing paint colours

If you know your Cornforth White and Mizzle from your Railings and Downpipe, and you've had many a "discussion" over which one to choose, then this new campaign by BMB for Farrow & Ball will be all too familiar. Directed by BAFTA-winning David Kerr through Hungry Man, the spot raises awareness of the brand's 'colour consultancy' service.

Written By: Katy Cowan

27 May 2021

It's the tricky part of decorating that we all struggle with: what colour to paint the walls? Farrow & Ball, makers of paint and wallpaper, is launching three new films over the next month or two that humorously explore the "psychological decorating obstacles" that homeowners often need help to overcome in the pursuit of the perfect colour scheme.

This latest iteration is the second major campaign that creative agency BMB has made for the brand since winning the account in 2019. It will run in various time lengths on Channel 4 and Sky VOD, display and paid social, as well as full-page print insertions in decor titles. The first film 'Words' is just launching, with two further in the same style to follow in the summer.

The films acknowledge that for many, decorating your home can be a challenging time. Each ad playfully dramatises a reason that homeowners may need to enlist the help and advice of a Farrow & Ball colour consultant – from settling domestic squabbles over paint colours (of which the first film does beautifully) and helping those who feel overwhelmed by choice to giving people the confidence to be more adventurous with colour.

In each spot, we meet aspiring home decorators who find themselves in a comedic decor-related quandary, before a title, accompanied by revelatory music, harshly cuts on screen suggesting that they "Let a Farrow & Ball Colour Consultant take care of the tricky bit". When all is well and we cut back to the home, the films reveal that it's been strikingly decorated in a beautiful Farrow & Ball colour scheme (in this first case, Mizzle), with the homeowners satisfied and happy that they opted for a colour consultation.

This latest campaign, shot by David Kerr of Hungry Man productions, continues his relationship with BMB and Farrow & Ball after last year's successful 'Relax, it's Modern Emulsion' campaign. Media planning and buying were executed by Farrow & Ball's global media agency, VCCP Media.