WaterAid - The Girl Who Built A Rocket

With established fundraising channels facing challenges across the sector, WaterAid wanted a fresh (and refreshing) way to engage new audiences in the global water crisis with a tactic that would consistently drive consideration for the charity and its work. By landing on a universal truth that left room for flex and evolution over the following years, we could start to close the proximity gap between understanding and activation.

By highlighting how personal and intimate our relationship with water can be in relation to other issues and interests, we could deepen our audience’s understanding and appreciation of the role water plays in their own lives, and understand the (ahem) ripple effect it can have on others’. Creatively, this required us to increase engagement with existing and new supporters by grounding all campaigns in cultural context, shared values and mutual interests. Tactically, this meant reframing the narrative and putting water where it belongs: at the heart of the news cycle.

In 2021, three rockets set off to Mars. Their mission was to search for water and signs of life, which made us ask the question: why are we talking about finding water on Mars, when people are still thirsty here? When the rockets blasted off, we knew we had three months before they would be back in the news again by entering Mars’ orbit. So we set about making a film that would hijack the conversation and put water on Earth at the heart of the story. The film launched on Channel 4 as the evening news reported on the Mars Missions. The campaign was also supported by social media, YouTube and Teads, securing widespread coverage.

Our charming animated short tells the story of a little girl in Madagascar named Fara, and her attempts to find water for her village. Upon hearing a news report (voiced by the man, the myth, the legend, Sir Trevor McDonald) claiming water has been found on Mars, she embarks on her own mission to build a rocket ship and travel there herself. The story is set to a specially composed version of David Bowie’s legendary track, “Life on Mars”.

Throughout production we worked with a Cultural Director who was born and lives in Madagascar, to ensure that every cultural detail was authentic and accurate. From big geographical details, such as all the houses facing south so that people can watch the sunset, to smaller more nuanced details such as hair and clothes.