How do you say “people can change” without being frivolous or cliché, in a way that will make the public pay attention? We want our communication to be rooted in a strong Singapore context, and demonstrate how a person can shake off a checkered past and create a future where he is a contributing member of society in a powerful, emotional way.

We looked at the problem and realised we can turn a person's negative background (TEEN GANGSTER) into a positive future (SERGEANT TENG) simply by rearranging the letters. To resonate with Singaporeans, we chose Asian surnames. So it’s also a test of copywriting skill to find compelling word pairings that can be perfectly anagrammed without adding or subtracting letters. The work is crafted in a visually arresting way to stop people in their tracks and make them take a second look.

The core message of REARRANGING LIVES captured the imagination of prospective volunteers, schools and interest groups when Beyond Social Services conducted its outreach programme for 2013. As a result, more volunteers signed up compared to previous years.