Avoiding Broken Windows: Priceless

It sounds too good to be true. That's because it is.

Colorful posters with offers of free beer, food and cigarettes are causing passersby in St. Louis to do double takes. At second glance, however, they see the message beneath the offer of free goods: “That’s what a thief sees when you leave stuff in your car."

The city has experienced a rise in auto break-ins recently, but the police needed more than a sober, stern warning to get the message to citizens and visitors alike. The concept for the campaign came from Left Field Creative (St. Louis). Left Field’s Terri Lacey, creator of the campaign, pointed out, “People don’t want to be told what to do.” In this case, it’s both a joke and a warning.

“But they remember the message,” Capt. Stephen Hobbs of the St. Louis Police Department’s 3rd District, said. “That’s the important part.”

Color Process Technology (Hazelwood, MO), was contacted by JCDecaux to help in the project. The company, which mostly does silkscreening, handled the large-format, bus-shelter printing, creating 99 posters (33 of each design). Midtown Printing (St. Louis) fabricated table tents and 18 x 24-in. posters.

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"To date, we have 20 different departments around the country who have shown interest in using this concept in their markets," Left Field's Bill Shelton said. "We’re offering the campaign for a modest, one-time, market-exclusive licensing fee. And we’re adding new executions to the campaign, after getting interest from shopping malls, hospitals and schools."