UNICEF LOOK FOR A PERTH AGENCY TO ROLL OUT DROGA5’S TAP PROJECT LOCALLY
Droga5’s international life-saving phenomenon, The Tap Project, is spilling to Australian shores and UNICEF are seeking a Perth agency to roll it out in Western Australia. It appears Droga5 in Australia will not be involved. Droga5 wanted to work in partnership with agencies they respected to roll out Tap Project here. Earlier this year, Droga5, with help from CB’s Michael Lynch, connected with the best agencies in each state and New Zealand – to ask them do just that – in exactly the same way that David Droga invited Crispin Porter and Goodby Silverstein to participate in the U.S. rollout. Australian shops that willingly saying yes were Clemenger BBDO (Melbourne), Marketforce (Perth), Junior (Brisbane) and Clemenger BBDO (Adelaide), who all agreed to work with Droga5 (Sydney). In addition, Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand agreed to cover the NZ market.
Instead, UNICEF in Australia will not follow the lead of their counterparts in the U.S. and is asking that prospective agencies officially tender for the pro-bono project. The successful agencies – advertising, public relations, media and events – will be chosen by an industry committee that was formed earlier this year to launch the Tap Project in Australia in March 2009. However, the closing date for submissions is December 24, 2008 – just over three weeks away.
The Tap Project is Droga5’s award-winning fundraising campaign for UNICEF which launched in New York City on World Water Day in 2007 (March 22). Hundreds of restaurants across New York invited customers to donate $1 for the tap water they would normally get for free.
The funds help UNICEF save lives by providing safe drinking water to children in developing nations. In just one day, New Yorkers generated years’ worth of clean drinking water to the world’s children most in need. UNICEF declared The Tap Project as its most successful single initiative in the organisation’s history.
The successful campaign spread across North America and Canada in 2008 and on World Water Day 2009 it will spill across continents and make its global debut in many countries, including Australia. The Tap Project’s Australian creator, David Droga, won the Titanium Lion for creative innovation at the 2007 Cannes International Advertising Festival for the concept.
For a full description of the project and details of how to get involved, visit the ‘Get Involved’ section of the UNICEF Australia website: www.unicef.org.au. The closing date for submissions is December 24, 2008.
UNICEF and Water
Water is a daily privilege that millions take for granted. The little known truth is that lack of clean and accessible drinking water is the second largest worldwide killer of children under five. Currently, UNICEF provides access to safe water and sanitation facilities while promoting safe hygiene practices in more than 90 countries. By 2015, UNICEF’s goal is to reduce the number of people without safe water and basic sanitation by 50 percent.
3 Comments
Bit naughty not giving UNICEF a chance to comment CB. Especially since they posted up a comment. Mind if we put it here for everyone to see before they start ranting?
“Michelle for UNICEF Australia said:
Let’s not forget the reason for running the Tap project – 1.8 million children die every year as a result of not having access to clean drinking water.
UNICEF Australia doesn’t want to poor (sic) cold water on Droga5’s involvement in TAP. We think it’s a fabulous campaign and we were excited for it to roll out here in Australia. UNICEF Australia approached David Nobay at Droga5 at the end of 2007. At that time Droga5 declined to work with UNICEF Australia in the Australian market on the TAP project. UNICEF Australia was not consulted about Droga5’s convening of creative agencies to undertake this project for UNICEF and was surprised to hear of this. UNICEF Australia would have loved for Droga5 to be involved or to even run TAP in Australia but they declined involvement at the end of 2007.
As such UNICEF Australia convened an advisory group and panel to call for expressions of interest from agencies to participate in TAP in Australia. The purpose of the panel is to ensure the most collaborative inclusive program in Australia. It is not a creative pitch. The UNICEF Australia team has discussed the project and the panel process with Dave Droga and has met with Droga5 in Australia.
TAP is already running In New Zealand. The TAP campaign launched in NZ in 2007 with DRAFT FCB managing creative and rollout. UNICEF New Zealand has not been approached by Droga5 either.
The campaign is terrific, innovative and will raise much needed funds for the world’s poorest children. At the end of the day that’s the most important thing.
If any agencies would like to discuss this with us please contact me on (02) 9261 2811.
Carolyn Hardy
Chief Executive
UNICEF Australia
December 2, 2008 12:40 PM
The story is all about getting a Perth agency involved. If no one puts up their hand it won’t happen in Perth which would be a shame. Kim
Let’s get this going in Perth. What a great thing our industry could do here. I don’t work in an agency but if I did I hope my agency would put their hand up to help out. Please don’t let this good cause down. I am certain we in the media would get behind it.