Babies of the Borough, Greenwich, London.
In this chapter we saw how something magical happens when behavioural science collides with the world of design. The babies painted on the shutters of the shops in Greenwich reduced crime by 24% in just one year and by almost half after 5 years.
It was the collision of two worlds that resulted in Babies of the Borough being firmly established in the evolution of nudge theory. And the Power of Cute has been taken to other territories such as street murals and spread all over the world.
See the BBC interview with Tara here.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19398580
Watch the original #ogilvychange film to promote the intervention here.
And read about how local government picked up on it here.
https://www.local.gov.uk/babies-borough-using-behavioural-insights-reduce-anti-social-behaviour
See the Cannes award winning entry here, from Emma de la Fosse.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsGCtQcUDZk
Step Out of the Echo Chamber
You can encourage serendipitous collisions by stepping out of the echo chamber to gain a new perspective. Actively seek out sources of stimulation beyond your existing repertoire, and be receptive to external influences.
“I like friends who have independent minds because they tend to make you see problems from all angles.” — Nelson Mandela
The Creativity in Collisions - Be a Collider
The collision of diverse skills sets can also lead to serendipitous discoveries so collaborate with people who are not like you to successfully apply behavioural science in business.
