16 May, 2025
Here at Colourhouse Masterbatch, colour has always meant quality. But it's also something more. Colour connects to people’s memories — evoking expression, emotion, and sometimes, remembrance. A lot like a vinyl record you haven’t heard in a long time can take you back to a specific place and moment — long after it had faded from your mind — and then bang, you're right back there again. This emotional connection between colour and memory is at the heart of our newest campaign. But it’s also a personal tribute.
This week marks the anniversary of Barry’s passing — our co-founder, business partner, and most importantly, our friend. If you’ve read our tribute to Barry, you’ll already know the mark he left. He was steady when it mattered most, sharp when needed, and quietly brilliant in ways that only those who worked closest with him truly understood.
It’s hard to believe another year has passed.
So, this year, we wanted to honour Barry in a way that reflects not just what he built with us, but who he was — understated, committed, and quietly creative. We’ve launched the Colourhouse Universal Vinyl Series — a creative campaign that showcases real vinyl records manufactured using our long-standing CUS range of universal stock colours. These are colours Barry himself helped formulate in the early days of Colourhouse, and before that, during his time at both Mercury Plastics and Clariant.
But this isn’t a new product promotion.
It’s a celebration of colour, creativity, and the way materials can carry meaning. Each vinyl in the series is paired with a lyric that emotionally connects to the colour — whether in the title, artist, or lyrics themselves. The choices are subtle, thoughtful, and sometimes deeply personal.
The first release in the series is CUS3006 – Rocky Red — a colour that carries Barry’s nickname, Rocky. It felt only right to begin here, and now.
The lyric featured comes from The Communards – For a Friend, from the powerful "Red" album: (You see the connection?)
Somewhere else, someone else is crying too,
Another man has lost a friend,
I bet he feels the way I do.
It’s not just a lyric.
This vinyl isn’t just a marketing image. It’s a quiet moment of remembrance — for a man who helped shape this company, and whose influence is still found in every colour match we make, every call we take, and every decision we weigh up in the lab.
Each image in the series includes a QR code that links back to our website, where visitors can learn more about the colour, the material, and the story behind it. It’s not about selling. It’s about storytelling — and showing that even colour can carry memory.
To accompany the visuals, we’ve created a Spotify playlist featuring all the songs used throughout the series. It’s called Colourhouse Masterbatch — a simple playlist of music to remember by.
To everyone who’s been part of the Colourhouse journey — thank you. Your support, has meant more than we can put into words.
And to Barry — thank you for everything.
And to our customers around the world, and to anyone who’s ever placed one of our records on a turntable: remember
The music really does sound better with you.
01 Dec, 2020
