Non-profit iDE Confronts Taboo Topic on World Toilet Day: The Danger of Poor Sanitation Across The World
New Yorkers got a day of relief with iDE’s Support-A-Potty toilets parked in SOHO
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Katherine Koch, iDE Communication Vice President
(phone: +1 303 884 4534, email: kkoch@ideglobal.org)
An estimated 60,000 people witnessed the unveiling of Support-A-Potty, an installation erected in New York City, which, despite its colorful exterior, raised awareness about the shocking fact that one in two people across the world don’t have a toilet at home.
Marking World Toilet Day, nonprofit iDE brought much needed relief to some 800 New Yorkers who used the eight toilet stalls inside the installation where posters educated the public about the dangers of inadequate sanitation, especially to women and children who live in developing countries.
“It’s hard enough to find a public bathroom on the streets of New York. But can you imagine not even having one in your home?” said iDE CEO Elizabeth Ellis, who was in NYC to unveil the installation this past weekend.
“The terrible truth is that globally, every single day, more than 1,300 children under the age of 5 die from diarrhea-related illnesses, simply because they lack access to toilets.”
Ellis said iDE chose New York as the setting for Support-A-Potty because it is a global melting pot, and a symbol of opportunity for people who strive to make a better life for themselves.
“We wanted everyday Americans to stop and think about how toilets – you know, those things we don’t like to talk about – can actually save lives and create dignity for people who don’t have the good fortune of having a bathroom.”
On the outside of the installation, designed to make policymakers sit up and take notice, messaging proclaimed, in typical New York style, "If we can improve toilet access here, we can improve it anywhere."
Another said, "Looking for a bathroom? You're in luck. We've got one right here for you. But not everyone is as lucky. There are 4.5 billion people around the world who don't have a toilet at home."
An exterior message really cut to the chase: "So while you're doing your business in here, you can go online and show your support for everyone out there. You'll probably be on your phone anyway."
Conceptualized and executed in partnership with brand marketing accelerator agency Fortnight Collective and The Experiential Group (Production), the installation was parked in Soho, where thousands of pedestrians and motorists got to see it.
Outside the installation, iDE staff gave away T-shirts and conducted interviews with Support-A-Potty users, who can relate to poor sanitation access as they live in a city infamous for its lack of public restrooms. Dozens of toilet users expressed surprise after reading the dire statistics inside the toilet stalls.
Social media influencer, Teddy Siegel, creator of TikTok channel got2gonyc, which features memes about New York’s toilet problem, stopped by to shoot a video, using the Support-A-Potty trailer as a backdrop.
Ellis said iDE’s market-based approach to ending poverty included working in countries like Ethiopia, Cambodia, Ghana and Bangladesh, where we have powered entrepreneurs to market toilets and improve access to sanitation.
“Through iDE’s global sanitation programs, we’ve helped over six million people gain access to a toilet at home.”
Says Anna Delaney, Art Director at Fortnight Collective, “We wanted to call out the lack of toilet access in the world in a place where people would understand what it was like to not be able to find a bathroom: NYC.”
“The United Nations recognizes November 19 as World Toilet Day each year as a day to highlight the inequities in toilet access around the world,” says Katherine Koch, VP Global Communications & Marketing. “iDE believes that toilet access is a basic human right, and this day serves as the perfect platform to champion this right.”
About iDE
iDE is a non-government organization dedicated to ending poverty. Based in Denver, Colorado, our work within agriculture, sanitation, climate change resilience, and gender equality, stands out in the international development sector because we don’t simply hand out money or commodities. Instead, iDE believes in powering small-scale entrepreneurs and building robust market ecosystems that are financially competitive, resilient to changing climates, and inclusive of marginalized people. iDE has 1,388 global staff and offices in 10 developing countries.
About Fortnight Collective
Fortnight Collective is a full-service independent brand marketing accelerator that is focused on helping brands be better, faster. With its unique BrandHack™ process, Fortnight Collective liberates the strategic and creative development process. From three-day sprints to two-week hacks to AOR relationships, Fortnight puts the right talent around the table at the right time to accelerate brand momentum for marketers. Fortnight Collective has been recognized by Adweek as a “Fastest Growing Agency” for the last three years and a “Best Place to Work” for the last two years by Outside Magazine.
Based in Boulder, Colorado, and with outposts in NYC and London, clients include Noodles & Company, People, Crocs, Vrbo, Expedia Group, ONE Brands, Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation, Odell Brewing, Mondelez, Mortal Kombucha and more. For more information, visit fortnightcollective.com.
About The Experiential Group
The Experiential Group (TXG) is a full-service experiential marketing and event production agency headquartered in Brooklyn, NY. Passionate about delivering novel experiences through innovative mediums, TXG’s hybrid approach to experiential fuses creativity and best-in-class production to create one-of-a-kind experiences that brings brands to life in extraordinary ways.
Credits
CLIENT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Elizabeth Ellis
CLIENT COMMUNICATIONS VICE PRESIDENT: Katherine Koch
CLIENT NAME: iDE
EXECUTION TITLE: Support-A-Potty NYC
AGENCY: Fortnight Collective
FOUNDER/CEO: Andy Nathan
PRESIDENT: Devin Reiter
SR ACCOUNT DIRECTOR: Kelly Yach
ACCOUNT MANAGER: Jane Pendergast
CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER: Adam Chasnow
HEAD OF DESIGN: Matt Kubis
CREATIVE DIRECTOR(s): Mona Hasan
COPYWRITER(s): Nihal Atawane
ART DIRECTOR(s): Anna Delaney
PRODUCTION COMPANY & CITY: The Experiential Group (New York)
PRINCIPAL: Frank Moran
HEAD OF PRODUCTION: Jessie Patch
SENIOR PRODUCER: Courtney McFarland
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: Natalie Cuoccio
EDITORIAL COMPANY & CITY: Mike Greenberg (New York)