Crown Paints is launching a new campaign built around the creative platform ‘Looks like…’, reflecting the reality of decorating and the real lives behind the spaces people create.
Developed by creative agency Dinosaur, the multi-channel campaign marks the first time the brand has brought its consumer and trade communications together under a single creative idea, while maintaining distinct messaging for professional decorators and DIY audiences.
The work is designed to challenge the category’s traditional portrayal of perfectly styled interiors, instead reflecting the messy, personal and emotional journeys involved in decorating real homes and real spaces. At the heart of the campaign is the line ‘Looks like…’, used to reveal the stories, identities and personalities behind finished rooms.
The creative follows real people through their decorating journeys, showing both the process and the moments that motivate change – from personal milestones to everyday life moments – culminating in a ‘Looks like…’ reveal that connects the finished space to the people who live or work there.
The consumer work focuses on emotional life moments within the home, and the Crown Trade campaign features real painters and decorators working on genuine jobs, demonstrating support for the trade community and encouraging advocacy by highlighting the pride and craft that goes into every job.
Both strands are connected by a shared creative strategy celebrating ‘real painting journeys’, designed to position Crown as the brand that supports people – from DIYers to professionals – through the realities of decorating rather than the idealised end result.
The campaign will run across TV, digital video and social media, supported by strategic media partnerships designed to deliver scale across both audiences.
Key elements of the media plan include:
- Channel 4 partnership, placing Crown creative around major tentpole programming
- On The Tools collaboration, reaching the UK’s largest community of tradespeople through social-first content
- A full-funnel social strategy, combining social-first storytelling with targeted video placements across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok
It will also be amplified through editorial partnerships and strategic influencer collaborations designed to extend the ‘Looks Like…’ storytelling across earned and social channels.
Media planning and buying was led by Notorious Communications, with earned activity developed by Citypress, bringing media and PR together to amplify the campaign platform.
Amanda Bolton, Marketing Director for Crown Paints, said: “This campaign represents a bold new creative direction for Crown. The idea behind ‘Looks like…’ is rooted in a deep understanding of our audiences – whether that’s professional decorators proud of the craft they bring to every job, or homeowners making changes to the spaces that matter most to them. In reality, decorating isn’t just about colour charts and finished rooms. It’s about identity, personality and the moments in life that drive people to transform a space.
“By celebrating real painting journeys and the characters behind them, we’re showing that Crown isn’t just part of the final result – we’re there through the whole process, helping people build confidence and express who they are through the spaces they create. It’s a more human, more authentic way for us to tell the Crown story.”
Mark Beaumont, Founder and Chief Creative Officer at Dinosaur, added: “The category tends to show decorating as showroom-perfect, but the reality is far more human. People decorate because something in their lives has changed – a new chapter, a fresh start, a moment they want their home to reflect.
‘Looks like…’ celebrates those real stories. By focusing on the people behind the spaces – from DIYers to professional decorators – we’ve created a platform that shows the process, the imperfections and the pride that come with making a place your own. It’s a simple creative idea that puts real lives back at the centre of decorating.”
The campaign launches across channels from 1 April 2026, running throughout key peaks in the decorating season.
