Xylem And Man City To Tackle Water Education
Water technology company Xylem and Manchester City FC have teamed up to launch an education campaign on the risks posed by water complacency.
‘Closer than you think’ is a multimedia campaign created by Lagardère Plus, the global partnership marketing agency of Lagardère Sports and Entertainment.
Through multimedia storytelling, the initiative aims to show audiences how every country on earth faces serious – and escalating – water issues, such as lack of access to clean drinking water and resilience challenges in the face of increasing severe weather patterns.
The latest UN data estimates that 3.6 billion people – almost half the global population – currently live in areas that are potentially water-scarce at least one month per year and by 2050, more than 5 billion people could suffer water shortages due to climate change, increased demand and polluted supplies.
‘Closer than you think’ is Xylem’s first major B2C campaign – and the first major actication of its Manchester City partnership. It has launched with a video created by Brave, an agency acquired by Lagardère Plus in 2017.
The film features Manchester City players Sergio Agüero, David Silva and Ilkay Gündoğan inside the Manchester City changing room, where they are surprised by a projection-mapped display which surrounds them with dystopian visions of the future – worlds faced with severe drought and flooding.
Over coming weeks, the series will aim to raise awareness of the diverse range of water issues faced across the world, as Manchester City players, Manchester City Women’s team players and New York City FC players discuss water challenges in their home countries.
Commenting on the project, Damian Willoughby, Senior Vice President of Partnership at City Football Group, parent of Manchester City, said: “At Manchester City we are committed to using football as a platform for improving the lives of people around the world and we are delighted to support Xylem for such an important campaign.”
Joseph Vesey, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Xylem, added: “‘Closer Than You Think’ is centred on driving the global conversation about water challenges and solutions and inspiring the next generation of fans to think differently about water.
“With the support of Manchester City players, Manchester City Women’s team players and New York City FC, we have a unique opportunity to reach millions of fans around the world and inform more people about urgent issues that affect us all.”
The launch coincides with confirmation of Manchester City’s 2019/20 pre-season Asian tour plans, which will see the club visit Japan for the first time in its history.
Tour 2019, presented by Visit Abu Dhabi, will include a fixture against Manchester City sister club, Yokohama F. Marinos, in the Nissan Stadium, Yokohama.
The J League side has been part of City Football Group since May 2014.
Omar Berrada, Manchester City’s Chief Operating Officer, commented: “We are delighted to announce Manchester City’s first ever match in Japan. The Club has a passionate fanbase there and we are excited at the prospect of playing in front of these fans for the first time.
