Hoping to raise awareness about suffering caused by the lack of drinkable water, an ad agency in Belgium came up with a campaign called: "Thirsty Black Boy Interrupting Live Television."
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During various prime time broadcasts, a young boy ran onto the set, chugged the glass of water sitting next to the host or the guests, and then quickly ran out of sight. The viral awareness campaign helped raised $5.24 million for the water cause in only six days!
Every day 1.1 billion people — equivalent to the combined population of North America and Europe — go without clean water. Even worse, every 15 seconds a child dies because he or she doesn't have water to drink. While some could derive colonial or patronizing undertones from the title "Thirsty Black Boy," it's refreshing to see creative viral marketing going to a good cause.
GUESS
Juan Antonio Lopez
Development
if only we had awareness commercials like that here. I would think it would have one hell of an impact here.
1Very inventive!
2I love the message but I definitely hate the title. After watching "Hotel Rwanda" and becoming enlightened to the Belgians influence and effect on that situation, the campaign title could have been a bit more sensitive.
3This is genius. I still say we need to push for efficient desalinization plants. Conflicts of water shortage have been in U.S. courts for decades now especially between California and Arizona. There was even serious talk of California splitting in two North and South because the north was tired of the South taking all the water. It has also played a factor in some of the war fare and genocide that occurs in Africa. Mainstream desalinization would be a God send to places like California that is overpopulated and third world countries that are simply at the mercy of the elements they reside in.
4Their governments are so damn corrupt. Millions have been given to them for these reasons and nothing has happened. I applaud private charities taking care of it!
5LOL, I thought that was Peter Griffin GS
6Isn't that awesome?!? I don't remember where I found that pic, but it looks just like him!
7Brilliant!
Many people would like to help, but sometimes they want something to surprise them right smack at the face to get them off the couch. Well, this one's definitely something very out-of-the-box.
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