Västerviks Kommun
Problem
The city of Västervik, and all of Kalmar region, has during the last summers struggled with drought and limited water supply. To prevent future concerns, the municipality formed a plan for the coming twenty years to restore the water systems in Västervik – which will involve raised water taxes for the people living in the area. To make sure the residents are on board, and ensure they understand the need for these measures as well as taking actions for themselves, the municipality needed to raise the awareness of the issue.
Insight
This is not the first time that someone has tried to enlighten that water is a critical matter for us in Sweden, as well as any country. Västervik has made a couple of attempts to encourage city residents to save more water, such as by taking shorter showers, and other daily reminders. But as it seems, the common awareness in Sweden is low. From being spoiled with unlimited access to water, we're using it for granted. It has made it hard to imagine that it actually could run out. We realized that to wake people up, we had to illuminate the consequences.
Solution
As a popular tourist destination by the coast, Västervik has a history and an identity built on water. Everything from the city coat of arms, to the local soccer team, carries out the symbolic blue color. In that way, Västervik is dependent on water in more ways than the usual. What would happen if it ran out? To make a symbolic statement we created a leaking version of the city coat of arms. Bit by bit the water pours out of the shield, leaving its grand ship stranded on the ground. We also aimed to further remove the blue color from other parts of Västervik, such as from local logos for organizations and tourist marketing.
