How might a familiar form of public communication be reimagined to create an unexpected moment of comfort? Inspired by Depeche Mode's Personal Jesus, this project explores how the humble tearaway poster could transform a fleeting street encounter into a playful act of reassurance.
- Street mockup
- Activation poster close-up
- Audience participation
Tearaway posters are commonly used to advertise services or seek assistance, relying on curiosity and participation to capture attention. By borrowing this familiar format and recontextualising it as a tongue-in-cheek evangelical campaign, the project subverts audience expectations. Each tear-off tab offers a small message of encouragement, inviting passers-by to pause, smile and carry away a personal reminder that comfort can sometimes come from the most unexpected places.
Installed within busy art school districts, the posters blended seamlessly into the streetscape, inviting spontaneous interaction through the familiar act of tearing away a tab. While conceived as a playful guerrilla intervention, the project took on a life of its own when others began creating and displaying their own versions using Chinese religious figures. This unplanned exchange transformed the campaign from a standalone installation into a shared cultural conversation — highlighting how familiar communication formats can encourage participation and reinterpretation.