The advertising solution created the illusion that every reader of the newspaper chosen was carrying a knife. We placed a realistic photograph of a knife on the outside back cover of a newspaper at precisely the point where the reader’s hands hold the paper. The headline: ‘Seen anyone carrying a knife recently?’ in conjunction with seeing people appearing to carry a knife, led people to the call to action: Call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Knife crime is so frightening that response and results often take longer than conventional direct work. Hannah Daws, Head of Communications, Crimestoppers commented: 'The nature of knife crime means that results can take time. However, this innovative way of promoting our core message has generated significant discussion about the issue and has certainly helped the cause.'