Saxon Square launched Child Safe

I’ve been working on launching the Child Safe scheme in a simple, memorable and easy way that encourages footfall, tenant participation, family participation and positive coverage. 



Child Safe is a national service that shopping centres can participate in. Parents are encourage to take a free Childsafe wristband for their children so, should they get lost, they have contact details with them to aid a swift reunion.

We developed a proposal to ‘lose’ 50 Saxon Square promotional teddy bears around the Centre and call for the public to come to the scheme to help staff find the teddies on a particular day.

Pre-publicity of the event was crucial and a pre-publicity launch with the local Montessori school was set up.  The school brought their children to the Centre where they were all equipped with a Child Safe Zone wristband and photographed with the Centre Manager and local Police Community Support Officers.  This was attended by the key local title and given wide coverage in print and online. 

We provided continual press liaison and updated material right up until the actual day of the Teddy Bear Hunt on Saturday 26th July and comprehensive post-event material and photographs of the event were also syndicated.

The event itself was very well attended by the public and demand for the Saxon Square teddies was very high; indeed at least double the number of bears could have been given away.  Both the public and tenants supported the event enthusiastically and the feedback from them all was very positive. 

Activities on the day also included a free Makendoo workshop for all visitors, where they could make masks with their children and generally enjoy the atmosphere.  In addition, local clown ‘Ivo’ entertained families with his antics and added to the ambience.

Overall the event and attendant publicity ensured increased awareness of the Centre and the facilities and attractions on offer.  The pre-launch coverage was comprehensive and ensured high public turn-out and participation.  The photographs and post-event copy has been syndicated and is prominent on the new website.
In addition to all press material and other collateral produced, the consultancy designed and supplied a Child Safe Poster for Christchurch Information Office after meetings between Bryan Taylor and staff at the Information Office. The consultancy also arranged for the production of the bears and produced the logo artwork for the suppliers.