Spa: advert-body-3 by J. Walter Thompson Amsterdam

J. Walter Thompson Amsterdam has set out to prove just how pure and clear Spa water is by challenging Dutch photographer Robin de Puy to take a photo through a drop of Spa. The innovation team at J. Walter Thompson Amsterdam was set the task of turning this natural element into a functional lens – and building a unique camera to capture a portrait through a drop of water.

Teaming up with tech specialists Etulipa, J. Walter Thompson Amsterdam broke the problem down into several steps.

To ensure that the drop of water did not form a puddle when placed onto a glass plate, the team added water-repellent coating. To find a way to control the shape of the water drop, to allow the photographer to pull focus, they employed an electro-wetting technique: by changing the electricity voltage running through the drop of water, its shape either contracts or expands. Then, a small mirror was added underneath at a 45- degree angle to reflect horizontal light up through the lens. Finally, a sensor was added, to create the world's first 'water camera'.