Viral ad campaign hits #FirstWorldProblems
October 23rd, 2012
04:01 AM ET

Viral ad campaign hits #FirstWorldProblems

Do you hate it when your mint gum makes your ice water taste too cold? Or your phone charger won't reach your bed?

A group fighting for access to clean water in developing nations has created a fundraising video that takes such first world gripes and casts them in the stark light of poverty.

In the 60-second video, the group WATERisLife has impoverished residents in Haiti, the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, recite tweets from the popular hashtag #FirstWorldProblems.

The hashtag, a perpetual presence on Twitter, pokes fun at people who have more than the basics of life covered, and yet grumble when, say, their neighbor blocks off his wi-fi access.

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Filed under: U.S. • World
soundoff (10 Responses)
  1. Medicated

    An

    October 23, 2012 at 5:04 am | Report abuse |
  2. Medicated

    An awesome, provocative, funny, yet deep ad campaign. Very clever. I hope it at least helps people feel grateful for what we have and urges those of us who haven't gotten there yet to contribute to reducing poverty in whatever ways we can, be they small or large.

    October 23, 2012 at 5:07 am | Report abuse |
    • Ted

      @medicated, guiltmonger somewhere else. I am grateful for my success without these third world minions tugging my shirt tails begging and whining. The successful think and focus on opportunities while poor people focus on obstacles. I mde capitalism work. I made America great. Self reliance and personal responsibility. I dare to dream big and put my thoughts into action. These third world minions think small. Haiti used to be a beautiful tropical island until fourteen million people who think like you ruined it.

      October 23, 2012 at 5:35 am | Report abuse |
  3. Jeff

    The people of Haiti need to get up off their behinds and help themselves for once. It is timefor the Christian missionaries and aid workers to pull out and leave them alone.

    October 23, 2012 at 5:36 am | Report abuse |
  4. Althea

    All these whining Haitians have to do is walk twenty feet and they will run into an aid worker or hollywood celebrity who will give them water or anything they want. Maybe the Haitians are too lazy to even get up and walk now.

    October 23, 2012 at 5:40 am | Report abuse |
  5. Dave

    If this ad campaign was coming from anywhere else in the world than Haiti it might mean something. The people of Haiti have lived off handouts from others for the last 40 plus years. It's time for them to actually do something- anything- to try and help themselves some.

    October 23, 2012 at 7:49 am | Report abuse |
  6. chrissy

    So if i understand this properly, all the millions/billions that we have donated to Haiti, has NONE of that money been used to teach the ppl of Haiti how to drill for water, or bought equipment on processing water to make it clean drinking water???

    October 23, 2012 at 10:43 am | Report abuse |
    • banasy©

      I wonder how much of that money actually reached the people of Haiti, because I really doubt much of it did, judging from the exrreme poverty and violence against females that still pervade Port au Prince.

      October 23, 2012 at 11:08 am | Report abuse |
  7. fernace

    This is why we can't & shouldn't be the "world police" or in the "nation building" business! I can guarantee we're not the only 1's who have donated time, $$$ & necessities to this island nation! Some1 over there is getting rich & it's obviously Not the citizens! They need to rise up against their oppressive regime, just like the people of Yemen & Syria have done! Unless it spills over into world unrest, we should let sovreign peoples across the world decide their own fate, just like we did here (& are still doing) & so many other successful nations have! We can continue to help, but it seems unless you're on the ground distributing help, it wont go to those who truly need it! Sad but true!!

    October 23, 2012 at 3:07 pm | Report abuse |
  8. Connie

    I think that we need to pray for all nations

    October 23, 2012 at 7:47 pm | Report abuse |
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