In 1923, residents across the Bay from San Francisco voted to combined 18 small water companies. They  formed the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD), paving the way for the infrastructure that the area relies on today to bring water from the snowpack of the Sierra Nevada. In 1951, wastewater treatment operations started. As it approached its 100th year, EBMUD delivers high-quality water to more than 1.4 million customers and provides wastewater services to 685,000 customers. 

Time to celebrate with a high impact 100th Anniversary campaign.

The theme behind it is that water is integral to our lives every day; we all simply turn on the tap without even thinking about it. So the imagery focuses on people making pasta and cooking together, watering flowers, and enjoying the natural wonder of the Mokelumne River, where East Bay water flows. 

Because the East Bay is so diverse, the team had to take care to make the campaign culturally relevant for different audiences. Simple translation wasn’t enough because familiar English phrases don’t necessarily translate.

The campaign ran in on East Bay billboards, transit shelters and bus benches, and on social media, culminating in a free community festival.