Charity: water Launches "Labor Day" Film via Fire Kite

Charity: water, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing clean and safe drinking water for developing countries, has launched a Labor Day-themed film focusing on the harsh realities of what the holiday means for those in these less fortunate areas. 

Opening with a voiceover, the film asks various people on the street about their casual plans for the holiday. While their responses follow the typical thoughts of relaxation, time with friends or enjoying nature, the imagery in the film depicts the stark contrast of adults and children in developing countries “laboring” for their daily sustenance.

As depicted in the film, a “walk” can mean walking miles to get water, “time with friends” can mean digging or carrying buckets of water, and “having a cocktail” can translate to drinking water that is unclean. While many casually enjoy their time this holiday, the film demonstrates the strenuous tasks that others go through just to live their daily lives. 

Created by independent ad agency Fire Kite, it builds upon the continuing efforts of charity: water to end the global water crisis in our lifetimes. 

“The best concepts are often the simplest and that’s certainly the case here. When Fire Kite pitched it, we immediately loved it,” said Brady Josephson, VP of Marketing and Growth for Charity: water. “The real-life ‘streeter’ style voice over really brings the juxtaposition to life. And from a purely executional standpoint, to be able to move from an idea to something in-market in a week is such a gift and asset.” 

“This was one of those ideas where we knew we had a great insight - Labor Day is not a day of rest for people who don't have clean water - it was just a question of what's the simplest and strongest execution,” said Alex Goulart, Founder and Executive Creative Director at Fire Kite. “Ultimately, contrasting casual conversations around Labor Day plans with the daily reality for 703M people was the most powerful way to go.”