Last but not least: telethon
Siabatou from The Gambia not only won gold in Cannes with her moving marathon walk, but—more importantly—she also secured drinking water for many African villages.
In Africa, many women have to walk entire days to get clean drinking water for their families and their village. Distances that in the West are run as marathons for fun - once a year, not every day. Ogilvy Paris made creative use of this comparison and had Siabatou, one of the many women affected, march in the Paris Marathon in April 2015 on behalf of Water for Africa - with a clear message.
The organization Water for Africa drills sustainable water wells in villages in Africa, saving the inhabitants the daily, time-consuming struggle for clean drinking water. Ogilvy's campaign attracted a huge amount of media attention - the pictures of Siabatou went around the world. With success: on Themarathonwalker.com meters can be donated. Every time the marathon distance of 42 kilometers is reached, Water for Africa builds a new water source - five have already been built so far.
The "Marathon Walker" campaign won gold in Cannes. A mere triviality compared to the problems that certain people have in this world. (hae)
