With
an aim of appeal to the rural public to keep drinking water sources
clean, Water Aid India rolled outa new campaign titled Jal Hai Toh Kal
Hai for use by the Government of India.
Neeraj Jain, CEO, WaterAid India,
believes that water is a precious resource and India is one of the most
water stressed nations in the world. It is important that this precious
resource is conserved and local water sources are not polluted.
“The PSAs that WaterAid India
commissioned from DDB Mudra for use by the Government of India put
across these messages in a simple but creative manner. I hope that they
are effective in inculcating in all of us the necessity for careful
management and conservation of our meagre fresh water resources,”
commented Jain.
Conceptualised by DDB Mudra Group, the campaign consists of two ad films.
According to Sonal Dabral, Chairman
& CCO, DDB Mudra Group, to work on a campaign for an issue of such
critical importance as water conservation was not just exciting but
daunting at the same time.
“We are really happy that by building on
some very deep rooted insights about water, we were able to create work
that has successfully connected with our audience and made them take a
fresh look at this vastly ignored problem,” added Dabral.
Bhains film
One of the films features a group of
people watching a cricket match featuring India and Australia in a rural
home. A young man notices the villagers hooked to the TV repeatedly
using the idiom Gayi bhains paani mein, whenever an Indian bowler is
smashed around for runs. When his father asks him for water to drink, he
returns with a glass of visibly dirty water, reasoning that if the
buffalo goes into the water so many times, it’s bound to become dirty.
The Government’s appeal of not allowing cattle to bathe in drinking
water sources and humans not defecating near these water bodies is
rendered through animation. The film ends with the message, Jal hai toh
kal hai.
Dost film
Next film is set outside a rural dhaba,
where two young men are seeing off a third, who is moving to the city.
While saying that they will miss him, they splash water repeatedly,
imitating tears. When they ask for water to drink after this, a waiter
gives them three empty glasses, with the dhaba owner underlining the
importance of saving clean drinking water.
Sharing his thoughts, Sambit Mohanty,
creative head, DDB Mudra North, added, “We live in a world where water
is taken for granted – more so in rural, semi-urban areas where potable
water is wasted and water bodies are used in an unhygienic manner. Our
‘Jal hai toh kal hai’ campaign aims to sensitise people to treat this
precious natural resource with more respect and consideration.”
