DDB Launches 'Water is Life' Project Across New York City

Agency Timed Awareness Project with World Water Day

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Mar 22, 2012, 10:34 ET

NEW YORK, March 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, DDB New York announced a new pro-bono project called "Water is Life," created to address the global crisis from the dearth of drinkable water around the world, in conjunction with the timing of World Water Day.

DDB is targeting high-trafficked areas around NYC where polluted city water outlets are pumped out into the streetscape and attaching cup dispensers to these structures. The cups are limited editions, featuring different facts about the global water crisis, such as the sad truths that "4,500 children die from unsafe drinking water every day," "unsafe drinking water kills more people than war," "one in eight people lack access to clean drinking water," "80% of illness in the developing world comes from unsafe drinking water," and "400 million Africans lack access to clean water."

The installations are a simple and direct way to bring the issue home for New Yorkers, who do not want for such a basic, life-sustaining force. Leaders at DDB felt that the abundance of life in New York City would provide a stark contrast to the nearly 1 billion people who live without access to clean drinking water.

"When you're walking around a city like New York, where you are quite literally surrounded by water, it's easy to forget that others around the world are not so fortunate," DDB New York Chief Creative Officer Matt Eastwood said. "We hope that this project will remind New Yorkers about the water crisis, and provide them with both the information about how they can help as well as the impetus to get involved."

The installations can be seen at bustling locations around the city, including inside the Bergen Street F/G subway stop in Brooklyn or by the East River Park. The cups in the dispensers feature a hyperlink for the Water is Life website (waterislife.com), which includes information about how people can get involved through either donating their time, or money.

About DDB

DDB Worldwide Communications Group Inc (www.ddb.com) ranks among the top five consolidated advertising and marketing services global networks, according to Advertising Age. DDB was recently named the Spikes Asia Network of the Year for the second consecutive year and the Eurobest Network of the Year for the third consecutive year. We are the most awarded agency at the Cannes Festival of Creativity and The Gunn Report has recognized DDB as one of the Top 3 Global Networks for 10 of the last 12 years. With more than 200 offices in over 90 countries, DDB employs Social Creativity to grow the value and influence of brands around the world by creating ideas that people want to play with, participate in, and pass along. DDB Worldwide is part of Omnicom Group Inc. (OMC).

SOURCE DDB