Background
For more than 100 years, when the temperature soars in New York City, people turn to neighbourhood fire hydrants in search of watery relief. However, the existing hydrant caps that spray water are rudimentary at best, and are often left on unsupervised, flowing into the streets and wasting water. That is how the idea of Splash Spots was born. We created a more whimsical spray cap that conserves 50% more water. Splash Spots pay homage to something uniquely New York by doing something uniquely New York to it: reinventing the spray cap through creativity and ingenuity.
Idea
Splash Spots are four distinct hydrant caps that bring four unique water experiences to the five boroughs. Each one is designed to bring whimsy and joy to New York City while conserving 50% more water than a standard spray cap. “Sunshine” spreads rays of water in all directions. “Blossom” releases a cloud of refreshing water droplets. “Jump Rope” creates a whirling “rope” of water for kids to leap over. “Pinwheel” unleashes a stunning spray of three rotating streams.
Results
To date, Splash Spots has received tremendous attention, being featured in everything from The New York Times to DesignBoom to Fast Company. The campaign earned 161 million impressions with $0 media spend. Most importantly, we’re currently working with NYC Environmental Protection, NYC Parks Department and FDNY to install them across New York, potentially saving over 1,000,000 gallons of water per summer.