Only 2.5% of all the water on Earth is fresh and only half of that is available for us to drink. It’s a scarce resource that needs to protected.
That’s precisely the message South African-based digital agency Native spread with its #CloseTheTap campaign.
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The innovative social media campaign opened in March, and only closed after achieving its stated goal of 10 000 tweets.
In order to give the campaign a visual element, Native created a live FlowCam connected to Twitter that monitored a flowing tap, rigged to a rotational water supply, everyday since its launch in March. With every tweet the tap tightened a little with the ultimate goal to completely close the tap when 10 000 Tweets were posted.
Those on Twitter could choose to post a Tweet from a number of pre-determined Tweets that contained tips and stats on water conservation, while Facebook users could add their online muscle, again, through pre-determined status updates.
According to Native CEO Jason Xenopoulos:
This campaign reflects many of the ideals that are core to our business. It was a digital idea that extended beyond the digital canvas. It integrated the online world with the real world and brought the power of digital to bear on a physical object – in this case, a tap. It leveraged the power of social media to effect social change… and it embodied the kind of breakthrough creative thinking that drives our agency.
The campaign, which was run by Native in conjunction with For the Love of Water (FLOW), “a movement of People, Organisations, Government Departments, Corporates, Media, Educators and others linked through their shared commitment to instill a deeper appreciation, understanding and respect for water”.
FLOW founder Justin Friedman says he hopes the campaign “will inspire other agencies to use their creative talents to not only generate mass awareness of the environmental crises, but also to drive measurable change using the engaging potential of social media combined with compelling calls to action.”
