Revenge is a dish best served cold, goes the old saying – but a new type design project from independent creative agency DUDE proves that it’s also immensely satisfying when served… creatively.
From the back streets of Shoreditch to the canals of Hackney Wick, street artists have been tagging, spraying and painting the buildings of East London since the 1980s – giving the area its distinctive character and vibe. But while some of the graffiti rightly ranks among the best in the world, much of it has zero value – artistic or otherwise. Or does it?
In late 2024, DUDE’s Vyner Street HQ – located directly on the Regent’s Canal in East London – was defaced with meaningless graffiti daubed across its distinctive frontage. But rather than getting outraged at the damage to its premises, the agency has decided to get even, by turning the unwanted ‘gift’ into a creative (and commercially viable) gift back to the community and promote better art.
Using the original graffiti letters, the agency has created Rusht Gewey Hotsex Pistol Pete Sans – a brand new ‘revenge’ font, named after the string of words spray-painted onto the office. Proceeds from the sale of the distinctive sans font will be donated to arts and education charity Bow Arts.
The campaign to promote the new font – aka the world’s first revenge font – includes an OOH element in the form of a custom-made banner hung on the agency building, which features an arrow pointing at the graffiti with the words: ‘Get this font’ and a QR code linking to the website. As well as prompting engagement via organic social posts, a ‘font raising’ party is also planned.
Before downloading the font, visitors to the site will be able to test it out on screen. They are also given the option to donate to Bow Arts, a local non-profit organisation nurturing London’s diverse creativity and talent.
Visit the website and download the Rusht Gewey Hot Sex Pistol Pete Sans font here: https://revengefont.com
Joe Ribton, creative at DUDE, said, “At DUDE London we are very proud of our building in East London among all the creativity that defines this corner of the city – which is so well encapsulated in the amazing street art that locals (like myself) see on every free bit of wall space. So, when the graffiti gods cursed us with something lazy and a bit rubbish, we decided to use our creativity to get our own back. The Revenge Font felt like the perfect solution: we’re not doing this for money, we’re doing it for fame… with a side of vengeance. Ultimately, if we can help Bow Arts get an increase in donations, then next time the building gets tagged at least the art will be better!”
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