WaterAid’s Poop Emoji App Lets People Show They ‘Give a Sh*t’ about World Toilet Day
New York (PRWEB) November 10, 2015 -- WaterAid’s new #GiveASh*t app offers a way to take action on World Toilet Day, a UN-recognized day aimed at breaking the silence around the global sanitation crisis. In communities around the world, lack of proper sanitation affects health, education, dignity, the environment and economic opportunity—especially for women and girls.
App users can create their own customized poop emoji by choosing from dozens of different shapes, colors, eyes, mouths, hairstyles, and accessories. The more the poop emojis are shared with friends and social networks, the more additional features become ‘unlocked’. Beyond sharing over social networks, the emojis can be added to a smartphone’s keyboard to text to friends.
The custom poop can also be outfitted with accessories related to global sanitation, such as a shiny new toilet, a roll of toilet paper, a glass of clean drinking water, or an “I donated” pin. The app also allows users to make a $10 donation to the cause simply by sending a text.
“The poop emoji is one of the most popular emoticons on the market today, inspiring everything from pillows and wearable costumes, to coffee mugs, stress balls and endless selfies. But for millions of people around the world, poop is no laughing matter,” said WaterAid America CEO Sarina Prabasi.
“The fact that half a million children under the age of five die each year from diarrheal diseases that could be prevented with a clean toilet and good hygiene is not something that’s easy to talk about. But decent toilets and good hygiene are a must if we want to break the cycle of poverty. This World Toilet Day, we invite everyone to take a stand by sharing your personalized poop emoji, and showing the world that you #GiveASh*t about the sanitation crisis.”
A wide range of entertainers, activists, YouTube celebrities and Vine stars will join WaterAid in recognizing World Toilet Day by sharing their personalized poop emojis. The campaign is being produced by creator publishing agency The Pub, with support from Joystick Interactive, Collab LLC and artist Julia Heffernan.
Note to editors:
Across the globe, WaterAid will be holding events and activities to highlight the importance of toilets and sanitation on World Toilet Day, including:
-- Worldwide: the release by WaterAid of the first-ever State of the World’s Toilets report, which reveals the most difficult place in the world to find a toilet, what country has the most people waiting for a toilet, and which developed nations are facing their own struggles in ensuring toilets for all.
-- In New York City, WaterAid will be hosting The Sh*t Show, an interactive gallery event with poop-themed art by artists from across the country. The exhibit is free and open to the public November 20-22, 11am – 6pm. 103 Norfolk Street, New York, NY 10002. Visitors will also have the chance to view WaterAid’s award-winning film Across the Tracks. Artwork from The Sh*t Show will be available for sale to benefit WaterAid.
-- In India, WaterAid is inviting people to share their favorite toilet joke on Facebook for the chance to win a moment on stage to perform their joke at the Indian Ocean Concert on November 19.
-- In London, WaterAid will be hosting a potty-mouthed comedy night on November 18, and staging an attempt at the world’s smallest comedy gig, Live at the A-poo-loo, for commuters at the appropriately-named Waterloo Station on November 19.
-- In Melbourne, WaterAid is bringing some of Australia’s best loved comedians together for a potty-mouthed comedy night on the eve of World Toilet Day. WaterAid is also asking Australians to share a joke on social media using #itsnojoke, and suggesting people Pay to Pee by donating a gold coin every time they visit the loo.
About WaterAid
WaterAid is the #1 ranked international non-profit exclusively dedicated to helping the world’s poorest people gain access to safe water, toilets and hygiene. WaterAid has programs and influence in 37 countries across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Pacific region. Since 1981, WaterAid has reached 21 million people with safe water and, since 2004, 18 million people with toilets and sanitation. Connect with WaterAid at facebook.com/WaterAidAmerica and @WaterAidAmerica, or find out more at WaterAid.org.
Alanna Imbach, WaterAid America, http://www.WaterAid.org/us, +1 (917) 209-8823, [email protected]
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