Graffiti Advertising in London: Why Painted Walls Work
Why it works
People stop.People trust it.People share it.
A billboard gets booked. A painted wall gets talked about. Here's what the research says about why graffiti and mural advertising works, and what it has looked like on walls we've painted across London.
Brief us on a wallView the media kit
01 · Attention
People stop
2 in 3
people say a local mural would catch their eye more than a billboard.
Source: Muros consumer survey, 837 US adults, 2022.
A poster is finished before anyone sees it. A painted wall is a show while it's being made: ladders, cans, colour going on, an artist working in public. People slow down, watch, and come back to see it finished.
At the New York Jets Tailgate at Flat Iron Square, Jimmy C painted a 2m x 4m London x NYC mural live across the day while fans watched the game come in from New York. Next to him, our artists customised 300 tote bags in front of the queue.
02 · Authenticity
People trust it
74%
say a piece made by an artist feels more authentic than a celebrity endorsing a product.
Source: Muros consumer survey, 837 US adults, 2022. In the same survey, almost 86% said they're more likely to buy from a brand that supports its local community.
Graffiti carries a credibility you can't print. It comes from the street, it's made by hand by people from the area, and everyone walking past can see the work that went into it. Put a brand on a wall the right way and it reads as part of the neighbourhood, not an interruption.
That's how we ran Deptford High Street with Shapes Lewisham. Every one of the 25 shutters started with a conversation with the trader behind it, was signed off by them, and was painted by a local artist, with Lewisham Council backing the project.
03 · Reach
People share it
41%
have photographed a mural and shared it on social media.
Source: Muros consumer survey, 837 US adults, 2022. In the same survey, 32% said they'd looked up the brand behind a mural after seeing it.
A wall doesn't stop working at the edge of the brick. People post it, tag it and stand in front of it for photos, and the brand gets reach it never paid for. We can film the whole thing too, so you get the timelapse and the reveal as well as the wall.
The Jerk Shac's shutter, painted by Master Skosh from our network, passed 15,000 views on its reveal post on Instagram. SE Dons shared their new mural at The Garrison as a collab reel with us, and it's become a photo spot for fans.
"The mural has become the most photographed thing in the venue. Guests can't stop taking pictures in front of it. It's transformed the whole space."
Peckham Riviera
Plus…
It keeps working after closing time
A painted shutter is a sign every evening, every Sunday and every bank holiday, when the shop behind it is shut. A mural on your own building has no media cost to renew and no two-week booking to run out. It just stays.
Art also changes how a place is seen. Researchers at Warwick Business School compared millions of geotagged photos with London house prices and found that neighbourhoods with a higher share of photos tagged "art" saw bigger relative price rises. They named New Cross and Deptford, our home turf, as areas going through art-led change. It's a link rather than proof of cause, but it matches what we see on our own streets.
People stop.People trust it.People share it.
Paintbox Graffiti. Painted by people from the street, for brands that want to be part of it.
What we paint
Painted for Budweiser, Netflix, BrewDog, the New York Jets, Popeyes, Lewisham Council and the independents on our doorstep. See who we've worked with →
Graffiti advertising: common questions
What is graffiti advertising?
A brand message painted by hand in a graffiti or street art style, usually with spray paint, on a wall, shutter, hoarding or board. It's also called mural advertising, street art advertising or hand-painted advertising. It can be a campaign wall, a permanent mural on your own building, or a piece painted live at an event.
Is graffiti advertising legal?
Yes, when the wall owner agrees and the right consents are in place. A painted advert can need advertisement consent from the council, and conservation areas and listed buildings have extra rules. We sort permissions as part of the job. More in our guide: do you need permission to paint a mural in London?
How much does it cost?
Shop shutters start from £500 and go up to around £1,500 for photorealistic work. Campaign walls, brand murals and live activations are quoted on the brief, because the price depends on the size of the wall, the artist, access and how long the wall runs. Send us the brief and we'll come back with a costed idea.
How long does a painted ad stay up?
As long as you agree with the wall owner. Campaign walls often run for a few weeks before they're painted over, while a mural or shutter on your own premises can last for years with a protective coat.
Can you work to our brand guidelines?
Yes. We work from your logos, colours and guidelines, and the design is signed off before anyone picks up a can. For Popeyes we cut live stencils straight from the brand assets.
Can you measure it?
More than people think. Add a QR code or an offer code to the wall, track tags and mentions, and count views on the timelapse and reveal. Our own wall on Frankham Street in Deptford, painted by Zomby, carries the shop address and a QR code.
Where do you work?
We're based at 389 New Cross Road, London SE14 6LA, and paint across London and the UK.
Got a wall, a launch or an event?
Tell us the brief, the area and the date, and we'll come back with an idea, the right artist and a price.
Sources: Muros 2022 consumer survey (837 US adults aged 18 to 60, self-reported, unweighted). Seresinhe, Preis and Moat, Quantifying the link between art and property prices in urban neighbourhoods, Royal Society Open Science, 2016, with a summary from Warwick Business School.