Agencies outside New York are customizing the Tap Project for their local markets in imaginative ways.
One major difference from the early days of the Tap Project is that the campaign now finds itself competing for money and volunteers with other water charities -- some of which sprang into existence after the Tap Project's initial successes.
The charity is the Tap Project, which helps Unicef deliver clean drinking water to children in developing countries.
The consumer-product companies that sponsored the Tap Project last year -- American Express, Barnes & Noble and WaterGeeks Laboratories -- have not returned.
The Tap Project was introduced in Esquire magazine in 2007 by David Droga, the creative chairman at Droga5 in New York.
In Chicago, said Al Wyatt, creative director at Energy BBDO, the Tap Project will "tap into, pardon the pun, the neighborhood pubs and bars" along with local restaurants.
So Athenos was assigned to Droga5 in New York, known for campaigns for the Tap Project, a Unicef water charity, and Reb'l Fleur by Rihanna, a Parlux Fragrances perfume.
The Tap Project, as the initiative is called, is adding cities and sponsors and is going bilingual with ads in Spanish as well as English.
Since its inception, the Tap Project has raised almost $1 million to support Unicef water programs in countries like the Central African Republic, Guatemala, Haiti and Togo.
Mr. Droga came up with the Tap Project as a pro bono campaign centered on increasing the supplies of clean drinking water in third world countries.
As the economy deteriorated the last few months, there were fears the interest that had been shown in the Tap Project would wane.
