THE GIFT OF TIME

charity: water

DREW LIGHTFOOT / DIRECTOR

AICP Next Awards Short List
Purpose Driven Advertising

New York Festivals Advertising Awards Finalist
Positive World Impact: Public Service
Philanthropic Appeals: Charity/Non-Profit

ADWEEK Experiential Awards Finalist
Best Use of Video in an Experiential Activation

Exhibitor Magazine
Corporate Event Award

United Nations Department of Public Information Award

charity: ball | INTERACTIVE 360° ACTIVATION

Abrehet Gebreyohannes, like thousands of villagers in arid Ethiopia, treks up to 6 hours every day through difficult terrain to collect (typically dirty) water for her family.

charity: water is working to change this.

For their 2018 charity: ball, TRADEMARK and BODEGA teamed up with the challenge of using technology to engage donors to fundclean water projects in Ethiopia. The ambitious vision started with the simple concept of time.

To communicate the concept, our team used specially designed 360-degree camera rigs to document Abrehet’s journey, surrounding attendees on a bespoke 276×20-foot circular LED “halo” screen in the San Francisco Armory. As the evening progressed, Abrehet’s daily journey unfolded in real-time, step by laborious step.

Each guest had an iPad with a custom app connected to a back-end server that tracked and tallied donations— representing both money as well as villagers’ time— graphically on the halo screen.

We challenged donors to give Abrehet, and thousands of others, their time back.

We succeeded.

The experience exceeded expectations, raising over $7M.

A charity: water record.

Enough to fund more than 500 clean water projects.

And give back 28.4 million hours.