South Africa’s #SaveWater mascot Splash is scarier than the drought

splash department water sanitation mascot savewater twitter

While the City of Cape Town is using apps, Twitter campaigns and Mmusi Maimane’s bucket delegation skills to remind South Africans to save water, the nation’s Department of Water and Sanitation is taking a — ahem — different approach.

“Splash” — the #SaveWater mascot composed of a water droplet shaped head, no neck, a green-and-gold suit, and a creepy crotch hashtag — was revealed to the world this week at the DWS’s #SaveWater ambassador campaign launch.

“The #SaveWater ambassador programme is a multi-sectoral initiative that includes a wide array of partners including Miss Earth SA, Operation SA, Tsogo Sun to ensure that Department works collaboratively with stakeholders to find solutions to the challenge of water scarcity,” the DWS writes on Twitter.

And while that’s a splendid initiative, could they maybe have worked a bit harder on making Splash less terrifying?

Even Springbok forward Eben Etzebeth looks a bit shaken.

Thanks to comedian Rob van Vuuren — and a retweet from columnist Tom Eaton — Splash began trending Friday afternoon just hours before #SONA2018.

“Day Zero is when this guy murders everyone,” van Vuuren tweets.

And others too were ready to cower beneath their beds.

Some were more succinct.

While Cape Town’s latest campaign trick of helicopter-drawn #DefeatDayZero banners does seem like wasteful expenditure, at least it’s a whole lot less terrifying than good ol’ Splash over here.

Feature image: screenshot, @DWS_RSA via Twitter

Andy Walker, former editor
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