London shops use baby faces in a bid to soften vandals’ hearts

 
Some of the shops in Woolwich have had their security steel shutters painted with faces of local babies. PICTURE BY: NIGEL HOWARD Email: nigelhowardmedia@gmail.com
Michael Pooler13 August 2012

It is enough to melt the heart of the most ruthless vandal — at least, that’s what the shopkeepers hope.

Babies’ faces have been painted onto shop shutters in Greens End in Woolwich in a psychological experiment by advertising agency Ogilvy.

The artwork is part of the rejuvenation of the area following last August’s disturbances and is inspired by the theory, supported by studies, that such images, right, can have a calming effect.

Zafar Awen, 54, signed up after his family-run phone shop was badly hit by last summer’s disturbances. He said: “The faces portray Woolwich as a safe and friendly area. Whether it could prevent riots I am not sure.”

The paintings are by an artists’ collective called The Paintsmiths of Bristol from photos submitted by the children’s families.

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