They appeared on the rooftops of some of the borough's most iconic buildings, from Fairfield Halls to Nandos, their ghoulish features towering over the ant-like people below.
Thankfully, they would prove not to be harmful. In fact, they are kind of helping brighten up the place a bit.
At least, that was the idea behind the so-called 'Monster Invasion' currently underway in Croydon, according to Designs In Air and Croydon BID who are behind the stunt.
The pair are collaborating for the invasion, which technically launches on Wednesday (September 29) and features monsters up to 7.5 metres high, for a joint venture that aims to "bring a smile" to people in the borough.
"The Croydon Monster Invasion is certainly something different for Croydon. At its core is the wish to bring a smile to people’s faces as they walk through our town centre. Like many towns and cities, we are looking at innovative ways in which to attract people of all ages back into our town centre," Chief Executive of Croydon BID Matthew Sims said.
His sentiments were echoed by Luke Egan and Pete Hamilton Aka Filthy Luker and Pedro Estrellas, the artists behind Designs in Air who describe themselves as an "inflatable design company".
The pair said they hope to channel the spirit of surrealism with the project, which is the latest in a series of installations the company have installed in cities around the world.
"Our aim is to make the world a more surreal and colourful place. We hope to get people to look up from their phones and do the double take," Luke Egan said. "Our sculptures can instantly transform an everyday scene into a strange new one - the mundane and normal into the abnormal, so if you’re not expecting it, it can really take you by surprise... I must thank Croydon BID for this one, they have been wonderful champions of our work. The great thing is everyone gets to see our work for free. Art is an international language and we try our best to appeal to all cultures, all types of people," he added.
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