Giraffes Help Croydon’s London Borough of Culture Stand Tall

Thirty towering giraffes decorated by local artists, communities and schools are providing a visually compelling public art trail across Croydon this summer. 

 

The initiative, called Croydon Stands Tall, was created by Croydon BID in collaboration with Wild In Art as part of This is Croydon, Croydon’s London Borough of Culture celebrations.  The 8ft giraffes connect local people and visitors to the town, its history, heritage and landmarks in a novel new way.  People walk between giraffes unlocking their stories via an interactive app. 

 

In its first week, the sculptures were unlocked almost 25,000 times. Our press campaign was one of the key drivers for this engagement. We secured 45 stories across the national, regional and local media, enabling Matthew Sims, CEO of Croydon BID, to communicate positive messages about the initiative, Croydon and the London Borough of Culture. We achieved this result by showcasing the 30 artists, their unique designs and the wider purpose of the initiative to spotlight the diversity and creative spirit of Croydon, its vibrant heritage and its future as part of The London Borough of Culture 2023. 

 

Coverage highlights included broadcast interviews on ITV London, BBC London News and BBC Radio London, a bulletin on ITV Good Morning Britain as well as pieces in key London outlets like The Evening Standard, Londonist and Secret London and a range of local news outlets across Croydon.  

 

The giraffes will stay for 10 weeks before each is auctioned off to raise money for charity Crisis Skylight Croydon, which helps local people leave homelessness for good. 

 

Croydon BID