Global outdoor media company Clear Channel have extended their billboard portfolio by organising a scientific advertising site in Peru that can create fresh water out of thin air. Located in the rural Peruvian area of Bujama, the £20,000 billboard was implemented in December 2012 thanks to a collaborative effort from the University of Engineering and Technology (UTEC) in Lima and creative agency MAYO DraftFCB.With a severe lack of rainfall but an atmospheric humidity of 98%, the billboard has been designed to condense water from the moist South American air, containing a series of filtering devices and UV lamps which cause the water to become purified - meaning that locals don't even have to boil it before consumption.
Generating around 96 litres a day, Bujama have been gifted with 15,000 of clean drinking water since January, equating to hundreds of families every month. This is a monumental achievement for an area experiencing a frequent struggle with the natural commodity that we take for granted. Standing 65 feet above ground, the construction is available to anybody who passes by and lies 55 miles into the busy Panamericana Sur coastal highway.
Bujama resident Francisco Quilca said: "I'm thankful to the people who made this possible because this is pure water and I don't have to boil it so much. The water is valid for me and my daily and normal use", going on to explain how 15 to 18 families visit daily for their share of water, some as early as 3am; some on bicycles, some by car. Ranging from Bujama locals to those carrying the liquid hundreds of kilometres to other regionsd of Peru, the water is used by nearby schools during sports lessons right through to farmers picking up a load en route to elsewhere.
While the campaign is providing an unprecedented benefit to the community, the idea was actually conceived as a way of encouraging Peruvian students to explore a career in engineering through studying at UTEC. MAYO DraftFCB art director, Juan Donalisio, said: "We are betting on effective advertising solutions that seize the advantages of technological engineering and the environment."