Water Wally

Water Wally, mascot of Public Utilities Board

Water Wally is the name of the official Singapore Public Utilities Board (PUB) mascot. Water Wally is blue in colour and shaped like a water droplet.[1] Water Wally conveys messages about water conservation and usage to the public.[2]

Mascot Unveiling

Water Wally was unveiled by Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources at an official launch held at MacRitchie Reservoir in 2005.[2]

In a two-week “teaser” campaign leading up to the official unveiling, thirty three-metre-high Water Wally inflatable balloons were displayed suspended above various reservoirs and canals around Singapore.[3] A “Where’s Wally”-inspired contest to spot the mascot was publicized in national newspapers, receiving over two thousand SMS and email entries.[4][5] Five of the inflatables were reported as having gone missing during the campaign.[6]

Water Wally as a Publicity Tool

Singapore's Public Utilities Board aims for Water Wally to put a “face” to water management issues which the public, and children in particular, can relate to.[5] Water Wally is prominent in a wide range of PUB publicity materials and souvenirs, including toys, T-shirts, calendars and posters[5][7] At the 2007 Singapore National Day Parade (NDP) Water Wally was featured in 5 different commemorative NEWater bottle designs and tattoos included in the free NDP fun pack given to all attendants.[8][9] The mascot also makes appearances at talks in schools and libraries.[10][11]

Television Series

A nine-episode short animated series featuring Water Wally entitled "'The Adventures of Water Wally” was telecast on MediaCorp's okto channel from January 23 to February 14 2009.[12] The episodes were also made available online at www.pub.gov.sg/waterwally.[12]

Controversy

Water Wally, in a promotional video 'The Water Wally Shower Dance', shows Water Wally dancing to a rap, reminding children and adults to keep their showers under five minutes. The Ad in the form of 'a Gangnam-style wannabe video’ has Neitzens up in arms.

The latest video also drew flak for a scene where Water Wally walks in as a boy was showering, with some netizens making comments that it was inappropriate and comparing Wally to a "paedophile". Apparently Water Wally has a habit of barging into toilets for the wrong reasons. In the ‘Adventures of Water Wally’ cartoon, the perky little droplet charged into a forest latrine to turn off running showers and taps in the episode ‘Camp H20′.

References

  1. ↑
  2. 1 2 "PUB Press Release "Here Comes Water Wally" 4 August 2005.".
  3. ↑ ""Who's Water Wally?" 9 August 2006. http://www.asiawaterwire.net/node/411". External link in |title= (help);
  4. ↑
  5. 1 2 3 [PUB's PURE Annual Report 2008. http://www.pub.gov.sg/pureannual2008/channels_of_communication.htm]
  6. ↑
  7. ↑ [PUB Press Release "Good flow of adopters for PUB’s Our Waters programme" 09 Jan 2006. http://www.pub.gov.sg/mpublications/Pages/PressReleases.aspx?ItemId=157]
  8. ↑ [PUB Press Release "NEWater - the Toast of the Nation at NDP 2007" 4 July 2007. http://www.pub.gov.sg/mpublications/Pages/PressReleases.aspx?ItemId=82]
  9. ↑
  10. ↑ [PUB Press Release "Good flow of adopters for PUB’s Our Waters programme" 09 Jan 2006. http://www.pub.gov.sg/mpublications/Pages/PressReleases.aspx?ItemId=157]
  11. ↑ [PUB's PURE Annual Report 2009. http://www.pub.gov.sg/annualreport2009/pub_action_waterwally.html]
  12. 1 2 "Channel News Asia "Water Wally makes kids water-wise" 21 January 2009. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/entertainment/view/403910/1/.html". External link in |title= (help);

External links

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