When the riots shut an 89-year-old barber’s shop, the internet reopened it in four days.
Tottenham barber Aaron Biber (89) had his shop looted during the London riots. At a time when social media was being blamed for fuelling unrest, and before crowdfunding had taken off in the UK, we launched Keep Aaron Cutting: a simple page inviting people to help rebuild Aaron’s shop. No gimmicks, no brand campaign - just a clear, human story and a direct way to give. Within four days, it raised over £35,000, enough to repair and reopen the barbershop, with the surplus donated to local youth projects.
How it worked
We published Aaron’s story with a clear call to donate and transparent updates. Press and social amplified the link; the community response funded repairs, security and new kit, and surplus was distributed to youth initiatives in Tottenham at Aaron’s request.
Impact
The shop reopened, and the narrative flipped from “social media fuels unrest” to “social media rebuilds a life.” The story became a touchstone for positive, grassroots digital action during the riots and has been cited in official reporting on Tottenham’s recovery.
Recognition
The campaign went on to win at D&AD and Campaign BIG. And the story was covered by The Independent, The Times, BBC London, and long-form features such as ITV Morning News, with international pick-up across titles including the Wall Street Journal, Digital Trends, and AdWeek, AdAge and Campaign.
My role & team
Created at BBH by me, Sophie Browness and Omid Fard, with support from BBH; local partner Diamond Build handled the refit.