Getting a glass of water is a simple task for many of us, but for millions around the world, access to water is a much more complicated and time-consuming problem. And for some women and children, carrying water is their life’s purpose, sometimes making as many as 8 trips a day to the nearest water source.
Water is transformative. When communities have better access to clean water and sanitation services, it creates a tremendous opportunity for the poor. It is a linchpin for health and prosperity.
That’s why Stella Artois has partnered with Water.org to extend its popular ‘Buy a Lady a Drink’ campaign, which aims to drive awareness of the global water crisis that affects 663 million people around the world who lack access to clean water. Through a series of digital short films, the campaign educates consumers and challenges them to be the generation that ends this crisis.
Seeing the Difference Water Can Make
The third film in this series uses 360° video to bring the water crisis closer to home, letting viewers witness how access to clean water has transformed the lives of one Honduran woman and her family.
In this immersive 360-degree video, you are able to follow Guillermina Hernández through her exhausting daily routine while she explains how the time and toil required to collect water from a river 40 minutes away impeded education and growth.
The VR film is split screened with video of her life after the family was able to receive access to clean water.
You see the difference first hand. They can now shower, clean and cook with ease. Washing clothes is easier, which means Guillermina’s children have time to go to school. All much healthier, the family is no longer malnourished; they’ve even begun growing fruits and vegetables, in addition to selling cakes and tortillas in a nearby town.
This is a family that is thriving.
Inspiring Action through Empathy
Anyone who has worked for a cause will tell you that the hardest part of advocacy is getting people to care.
Sure, recognizing the problem is important, but the real work is getting people to believe they can make a difference. It’s hard for them to internalize the significant change they could make in someone else’s life. We may understand the water crisis intellectually, but immersing ourselves into stories like Guillermina’s take us from understanding a problem to feeling it.
This project is another example of how groundbreaking VR as an application can be when it comes to inspiring emotion. Its ability to connect people across the globe through our shared humanity inspires change in perspectives as well as action.
The VR film was directed by Anrick and produced by Mother Agency, Stella Artois and Water.org. Click here to learn more.
