WaterAid launch powerful new TV campaign with 'The Class', highlighting urgent need for clean water in Madagascar

WaterAid have launched a powerful new TV campaign with 'The Class', highlighting the urgent need for clean water in Madagascar.

Created end-to-end – from story gathering and creative development, right through to production and delivery – by Happy Hour, the film spotlights the determination of a community and the challenges it faces without clean water.

WaterAid has launched a powerful new multi-channel campaign aiming to drive regular giving, raise awareness of its vital work, and create meaningful brand presence in a crowded charity market. The campaign is made up of a series of DRTV commercials which will air from 1 October, alongside a suite of edits across digital platforms.

WaterAid works alongside communities around the world to build sustainable water systems, reaching almost 29 million people with clean water. However, nearly one in ten people around the world still don’t have clean water close to home. Without clean water, many families have no choice but to collect water from open sources contaminated with deadly diseases, putting their health at risk.

Campaign

Set in Amboasary Sud, a small community in southern Madagascar hit hard by drought and without clean water, WaterAid's TV commercials tell the stories of Gazetee, a dedicated headteacher, and Nesteline, a 13-year-old who is one of her young pupils. Together, their stories reflect both the determination of a community working for change and the urgent need for clean water to make that change possible.

In this commercial, Gazetee has turned her home into a school. As a pillar of the community, this school plays a crucial role in shaping the futures of children through education. Yet, without clean water, many of these children risk falling ill and missing out on the ever so important education that could transform their lives. One of those children is Nesteline, who dreams of becoming a doctor. But, like her classmates, she must collect water from a nearby river filled with animal waste and mosquito eggs.

Strategy

To maximise impact in a highly competitive charity landscape, the campaign was designed as a full-funnel communications strategy, with broadcast TV at its heart and a carefully structured social and digital ecosystem supporting it.

The TV commercials acted as the primary awareness driver, building emotional connection and credibility at scale. Alongside this, a series of tailored social and digital assets were developed to guide audiences from initial awareness through consideration and ultimately towards regular giving.

By sequencing content across platforms, the campaign ensured that audiences encountered the right message at the right moment — from first exposure to action.

Deliverables

Happy Hour created a comprehensive suite of assets to support WaterAid’s multi-channel rollout, all produced end-to-end by the team.

Broadcast & DRTV

• 90” and 60” DRTV commercials for national broadcast
• Cut-downs optimised for performance and response
• Clear, emotive calls-to-action designed to drive regular giving

Digital & Social – Awareness

• Short-form video edits introducing Nesteline and her community
• High-impact narrative cut-downs for paid social
• Assets designed to stop the scroll and build emotional connection at speed

Digital & Social – Consideration

• Longer-form storytelling edits deepening understanding of the water crisis
• Films highlighting the real-world impact of WaterAid’s work
• Contextualised messaging reinforcing trust, credibility and urgency

Digital & Social – Conversion

• Direct response-led edits with strong donation messaging
• Platform-specific versions optimised for performance
• Clear framing of how regular giving can change lives long-term

Additional Assets

• Multiple aspect ratios and platform-specific formats
• Modular edits enabling WaterAid to flex creative across channels
• A consistent visual and narrative system ensuring cohesion across the campaign

Impact

By combining emotionally powerful storytelling with a clearly defined funnel strategy, the campaign created both brand presence and performance, allowing WaterAid to build awareness at scale while directly driving regular giving.

The result is a campaign that doesn’t just tell a powerful story, but turns that story into meaningful action.

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