2022 Silver Sustainability

Agency: Brave and SPORTFIVE

Client: Xylem

Campaign Name: Take Steps To Solve Water

Campaign Overview

We're facing a water crisis. Droughts, floods, pollution and access to safe drinking water are big issues. Xylem and partner Manchester City FC wanted to tackle the issue head-on and drive measurable, positive change through fan action.

Strategy

Getting people to take meaningful action is incredibly difficult, as they don’t always feel they can make a difference. Instead of trying to change behaviour, the campaign infiltrated habits using fitness app Strava.

The team created a series of water challenges designed around consumers’ existing exercise regimes. The initiative turned movement into 'a movement' and encouraged people around the globe to tackle water issues. Campaign phase one, 'Plogging (picking up litter while jogging) with Pep Guardiola', helped stop litter polluting rivers. Campaign phase two, 'Walk for Water’, raised awareness of people without access to safe drinking water.

Creativity

Every Step Counts was fronted by world-famous Manchester City FC manager Pep Guardiola. Plogging with Pep launched on World Water Day and invited runners on Strava to join the club and turn their jog into a plog, so they could improve themselves and improve the planet.

Walk for Water launched on World Earth Day to raise awareness of water scarcity. Around the world, millions are forced to walk an average of six kilometres to access water - the same distance as 18 laps around the Manchester City FC pitch.

Football fan Shayo from Nigeria shared her story with Manchester City FC players Raheem Sterling, Joao Cancelo and Jack Grealish as she walked them around the Etihad Stadium pitch, telling them the struggles she faced growing up when water was scarce.

The film raised awareness and inspired people to sign up to the second Strava challenge: walking the distance as people seeking fresh, clean water.

Results

With more than 25 million impressions on Strava, and a further 65 million impressions across the rest of the campaign, the work brought the water crisis to the attention of the globe, inspiring action and support, and championing water issues to a worldwide audience.

• Among the audience there was an 8% uplift in mentions of water in top-five environmental concerns compared to previous research dips

• Those who recalled the campaign were more concerned about water-related issues than total respondents

• A higher proportion of Manchester City FC and other football fans took action to solve water crisis than the unscreened audience (total population)

• 70% felt their actions can have an impact on their local water situation 61% felt their actions can have an impact on the global water crisis

The Team

Brave - Paul Pearson, Creative Director - Jake Bean, Copywriter - Nathan Salf, Art Director - Mike Roberts, Account Director - Declan Garvin, Business Director - Rebecca O'sullivan, Senior Producer - Caroline Paris, Executive Creative Director - Dave Lawrence, Planning Partner - Alice Burke, Planner

SPORTFIVE - Tim Stedman, Director of Partnership Marketing - Sarah Stewart, Account Director - Michael Casey, Account Manager - Cristiana Gaitan, Account Executive

Contributors

Manchester City FC and Chief Productions