David Droga's Water World
Running Out of H2O
Riding a bicycle across America in 2010's blistering summer the Martin's Ride To Cure Cancer team thought about water once - when we ran out.
It was a hot August day on "The Loneliest Road In America", US Highway 50 in Nevada's badlands. Our cell phones cut out. We read signs that looked and sounded military. Suddenly there was an explosion about a half a mile to the left. Dirt flew up as a Navy F-16 pealed off dropping tiny flares. "Chafe," our leader Jeremy told us. Two jets screamed across the sky lining up for another bomb run at the Fallon, Nevada target range. The jets seemed close. "By-the-way," our leader mentioned matter-of-fact, "we are out of water."
On that day on The Loneliest Road In America we knew how millions of children feel daily. We would have paid a king's ransom for cold, clean water. We deeply appreciated something previously taken for granted.
Selling Tap Water
"Ideas are currency," David Droga, Droga5 Ad Agency
When UNICEF's Tap Project hired ad agency Droga5 in 2007 they couldn't have known how a simple New York based marketing campaign would grow, expand and multiply. David Droga and Droga5's idea was marketing simplicity - have restaurant patrons pay $1 for tap water on World Water Day. Since $1 can keep a child in water for forty days the contribution was more generous than it seemed.
Once the Tap Project got traction Droga farmed it out to favorite ad agencies around the country. Publicis ran Seattle's Tap Project. Fishtank helped create San Diego's Tap Project's look and feel. Ad agencies working pro bono recruited participating restaurants and developed campaign publicity. Ideas are currency and UNICEF and Droga5 proved great ideas create their own compound interest. One thing is sure; no one on Martin's Ride to Cure Cancer team will ever take clean, fresh, cold water for granted.
UNICEF Tap Project Needs Your Help...
World Water Day is always observed on March 22.
How to volunteer to help The Tap Project
Read more about Martin's Ride
* Photo above is our last day of climbing in California, late August 2010.
Tap Project Ad Agency Droga5
Photo by Brian Ruso for Martin's Ride
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