The Brief

Vietnam has made rapid progress over the past decades. But many parts of the country have been left behind. It is estimated that nearly 17 million children in Vietnam (52 percent) have no access to safe water. And the figures are much higher in ethnic minority and remote areas. UNICEF is supported entirely by voluntary funds. Because it relies on the contributions of individuals, businesses and governments, the strategy was to help by creating a fund raising device that will reach out of the well-heeled residents and tourists in Vietnam.

Creative Execution

Donation containers are becoming ‘invisible’ to the public. This idea doesn’t just make the container stand out, it also demonstrates the fact that every cent counts. It’s perfect for UNICEF as they have been working with the Vietnamese government to provide rural communities with greater access to safe water. UNICEF also supports the government in developing child-friendly water facilities for kindergartens and schools. These ongoing aid efforts are part of UNICEF’s contribution to the Millennium Development Goal for water and sanitation: to halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe water and basic sanitation.

Describe the creative solution to the brief/objective.

At first glance, it may look like a regular donation container. Except that there’s water in it. Designed to look like a cross-section of a well, the water level rises whenever a coin is donated into the container. At the top of the well is a boy symbolizing the children who need help getting access to safe water. These collecting “wells” are used to gather donations from visitors to UNICEF’s offices across Vietnam, as well as locations where well-off locals and tourists gather – such as boutique shops, restaurants, clubs and bars.

Results

Responses increased by 30% when compared to the average response rate of previous fund raising campaigns that were targeted at similar group of people.