World Water Day roundup: campaigns raise awareness and money for clean water
Not everybody has the advantage of having access to clean water, but several brands and organizations are calling attention to the problem and doing what they can to raise money and awareness on World Water Day.
Stella's World Water Day Super Bowl ad
In 2010, the UN recognized “the right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right that is essential for the full enjoyment of life and all human rights” and named 22 March as World Water Day. This year’s theme is ‘Leaving no one behind,’ which addresses the 2.1 billion people the UN says live without safe water at home, and consumers are encouraged to get involved with several global efforts addressing that theme.
Drink a beer
Stella Artois made a splash during the Super Bowl when it combined two fictional characters – Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) and The Dude (Jeff Bridges) – changing up their usual drink orders in favor of a Stella. The mission was to rally people to change up their usual drink and choose Stella to ‘Pour it Forward’ and help end the global water crisis as part of the brand’s long-standing partnership with Water.org.
Water.org founders Matt Damon and Gary White have now recruited actor, writer and producer Mindy Kaling, who will be teaming up with the AB InBev brand and the non-profit to show how easy it is to help transform someone’s life with access to clean water.
“I’m passionate about empowering women in any way I can, and the global water crisis is an issue that disproportionately affects women and children around the world,” said Kaling in a release. “I am honored to add my voice to the mix to help change lives with access to clean water, simply by choosing Stella.”
“Together with Stella Artois we’ve already helped change millions of lives, and we’re making it easy for people everywhere to take action to help us reach millions more,” said Damon. “We’re thrilled to have Mindy Kaling join our cause, and we want to rally the rest of America to ‘Pour it Forward’ to help make a difference.”
Take a shot
Shots Box is a brand that states it is “committed to ending the global water crisis.” In November 2018, Shots Box launched its brand with a direct call to action for consumers. By purchasing the monthly subscription box featuring 10 craft spirit samples delivered to their home, Shots Box stated it would commit $12,000 in 2019 to The Thirst Project. This amount will fund one full project, building a well in Africa, serving a community of 500 people with clean drinking water for life. Once people find a liquor they love, they can order the full-size bottles directly from the company and for every two full-size craft liquor bottles ordered, 50 cents will be donated to the charity.
Grab a bottle
Accessories retailer Kurt Geiger has launched a partnership with WaterAid on its newest summer accessory: the leather Kensington Quench Cross Body Water Bottle Bag with matching reusable water bottle.
The six-month partnership will see £15 from the sale of each £89 bottle going towards WaterAid's work to get clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene to some of the world’s poorest communities.
Rebecca Farrar-Hockley, chief creative officer, Kurt Geiger, said: “It’s horrifying to think that 800 children die every single day due to lack of access to clean water and sanitation. In Britain we have clean and safe drinkable water available on tap, something we should not take for granted, especially when there are still so many people around the world who do not.”
In other bottle news, Greenpeople, an organic pressed juices brand, has launched a new range of water bottles that, instead of using litres or millilitres, measure the contents by daily activities that can waste water, from brushing your teeth to showering. The bottles, which were devised by Cheil Brazil, aim to alert people about the dangers of wasting water.
The bottles will be sent to influencers related to wellness, design and environment – and will be distributed for free during World Water Day in Greenpeople stores in both Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo in Brazil.
Listen up
To honor the day, Waterkeeper Alliance president Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and members of the Waterkeeper Council – an elected group of Waterkeepers from around the world – will gather in New York to address the current state of water. The group will bring attention to the global crisis, highlighting the most recent threats to U.S. waters under the Trump administration.
The Kennedy and the other leaders from the US, Mexico, Canada and China will call attention to federal threats to the Clean Water Act, tell people how to get involved and call out for public support on Facebook Live.
Note successes
Eight years into their unique partnership, social enterprise and ethical water company Belu has reached its goal to give WaterAid £1m in a year, helping transform hundreds of thousands of lives with clean water.
From 2011 to 2014, Belu delivered over £500,000 to WaterAid. It has now given a total of £4m to WaterAid, as the business continues to grow and expand their offering, including into filtration systems as part of the BeluFilter Initiative. This provides a free filtration system to restaurants, who in return to raise voluntary £1 contributions with their guests for unlimited still or sparkling filtered water.
Livestream
Through 24 March, Charity: Water will be hosting Weekend for Water, its first-ever livestream event on Tiltify.
Featuring streamers such as 'jacksepticeye', the weekend-long event aims to raise $100,000 and bring clean water to over 3,000 people.
Raise a toast
From World Water Day through Earth Day (22 April 22), people are invited to take part in a social media movement called 'Raise It Forward'. For every toast post that adds the hashtag #RaiseItForward, and mentions @WaterForPeople and @AbsolutElyx, Absolut Elyx will contribute one week of safe water to someone in need in communities where Water For People works.