The Homeless Book Project was a fund raising effort for BooksActually, one of Singapore's few remaining independent bookstores. As their premises is rented rather than owned, and in the face of rent that rises exponentially year after year, the bookstore's continued existence is uncertain at best. The goal of the project was to help the bookstore raise funds towards the purchase of a permanent home and secure its future.

Rather than appealing for help through traditional channels, we chose street installations that would create an immediate impact and make it hard for the audience to ignore our message. The project asked not for donations, but for consumers to help by buying books at the store — with the added incentive of a discount voucher that was dispensed on the spot at each installation. These installations were placed in areas of high traffic as well as on streets around the neighbourhood of the bookstore.

We shared about the project on social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram, garnering more than 500,000 impressions. The project was also featured in the newspapers. Best of all, hundreds of vouchers were redeemed and books purchased, raising $210,000 in two months. All this was achieved without spending a single cent on media.