ABOUT

As the London riots of 2011 died down, anti-social behavior in Greenwich, South London continued. Greenwich Council asked us to help find a way to stop the problem minority from destroying their own community.

The metal security shutters on the shops were being vandalised – they seemed to invite crime.

In 2009 scientists found proof that pictures of babies faces triggers caring and nurturing behaviour in adults. They proved that cute matters to the brain.

We wanted to use a completely new and previously overlooked form of media, the shop shutters themselves, so we turned the inhuman metal sheets on the retail units into giant portraits of babies from the local area. As the shops shut at night the metal shutters came down to reveal the babies.

35 media outlets in 12 countries and 3 continents broadcast the story. One year on crime has fallen by 18% in the area around the shops, the shutters remain untouched by vandalism and the residents say their community feels safer than ever before.

And it didn’t take thousands of pounds spent on hundreds of police; just a few cans of paint.