Take a 360 View into How Safe Water Can Change a Community

OAKLAND, Calif., Dec. 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In Peru, one in seven people (many of whom are children) do not have access to safe, drinkable water and are susceptible to water-borne illness. To draw attention to the lack of access to safe drinking water, the Clorox brand team and AOL partnered to create a 360 video to allow others to immerse themselves in a community in Peru that has benefitted from a program Clorox developed to address this problem and drive donations to it.

Safe water is foundational. Giving communities access to safe, clean water has a ripple effect, creating healthier and livelier communities. In many places, unsafe water is a reality and a leading cause of illness, malnutrition and death among children. In fact, diarrheal diseases kill more children than AIDS, malaria, and measles combined, making it the second leading cause of death among children under five.^[1]

While there are many clean water technologies, the reality is that unlike some global issues, there is a simple, cost-effective, scalable and easily adoptable way to kill bacteria and viruses in water – a few drops of bleach. According to a Clorox survey, only one-third of those ages 18-34 know about bleach's ability to purify water. Through The Safe Water Project in Peru, The Clorox Company is leading an effort to address the chronic problem of unsafe drinking water. Since its launch, The Safe Water Project has proved strong results, with more than 60 percent of community households treating their water with bleach and over 350,000 liters of water a day being purified.

"The goal of The Safe Water Project is to use the disinfecting power of bleach to provide more than 100 million liters of safe, drinkable water to more than 25,000 people each year in 21 different communities. The project installs community bleach dispensers that help treat and disinfect water and provides health education," said Gabriele Amtmann, Associate Director Marketing, The Clorox Company. "By working with HuffPost RYOT, our Clorox brand is using immersive technology to draw attention to an issue that might feel far away to those of us in the United States, but has far-reaching effects."

The campaign leverages the capabilities of AOL's award-winning Partner Studio and Oscar Nominated HuffPost RYOT, allowing Clorox to tap into AOL's full-suite of new solutions and services. Using immersive 360 video technology, HuffPost RYOT created an experience where viewers can see what it's like to live in one of the communities being impacted by this project. Leveraging AOL's network, which reaches more than 500 million global consumers, this short film, "Purely Peru," showcases how virtual reality can be used for global storytelling and social good. In addition to the video, the campaign will include cutting-edge donation button technology for the in app experience and AOL research methodologies to develop metrics for 360/VR consumer engagement.

"AOL is proud to be a long-standing Clorox partner and by leveraging HuffPost RYOT's immersive capabilities, we are driving a fresh new dialogue around how brands can engage with their audiences through this game-changing technology," said Molly Swenson, CMO of HuffPost RYOT. "Our work with Clorox allows people to step inside and see for themselves how the company is raising awareness around unsafe drinking water and experience what they're doing to impact and empower communities in Peru with the tools to create their own safe, potable water."  

The 360 video series will be accessible across screens and enable viewers to experience the action on the HuffPost RYOT app, YouTube 360 or through a VR headset. 360 video is now enabled across AOL's pre-roll, outstream, interstitial and expandable ad formats for desktop and mobile. To view the 360 video and donate to The Safe Water Project visit http://ryot.huffingtonpost.com/purely-peru/.

About The Clorox Company
The Clorox Company (NYSE: CLX) is a leading multinational manufacturer and marketer of consumer and professional products with about 8,000 employees worldwide and fiscal year 2016 sales of $5.8 billion. Clorox markets some of the most trusted and recognized consumer brand names, including its namesake bleach and cleaning products; Pine-Sol® cleaners; Liquid Plumr® clog removers; Poett® home care products; Fresh Step® cat litter; Glad® bags, wraps and containers; Kingsford® charcoal; Hidden Valley® dressings and sauces; Brita® water-filtration products; Burt's Bees® natural personal care products; and Renew Life® digestive health products. The company also markets brands for professional services, including Clorox Healthcare® and Clorox Commercial Solutions®. More than 80 percent of the company's sales are generated from brands that hold the No. 1 or No. 2 market share positions in their categories.

Clorox is a signatory of the United Nations Global Compact, a community of global leaders committed to sustainability. The company also has been broadly recognized for its corporate responsibility efforts, most notably receiving two Climate Leadership Awards for Excellence in 2015 and a Safer Choice Partner of the Year Award in 2016 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as well as being named to CR Magazine's 2016 Best Corporate Citizens list and included in the 2016 Newsweek Green Rankings. The Clorox Company and its foundations contributed nearly $17 million in combined cash grants, product donations, cause marketing and employee volunteerism in the past year. For more information, visit TheCloroxCompany.com, including the Good Growth blog, and follow the company on Twitter at @CloroxCo.

CLX-B

About AOL
AOL is a global, mobile media technology company with a mission to build brands people love. AOL is recognized as a leader in the digital space, dedicated to delivering premium content to consumers and innovative advertising solutions to brands and publishers. A subsidiary of Verizon, AOL is shaping the digital future.

About HuffPost RYOT
HuffPost RYOT is an immersive media company based in Los Angeles. Recently acquired by AOL, HuffPost RYOT is one of the most prolific virtual reality and 360° content studios in the world. HuffPost RYOT spotlights global and social issues, creating innovative 360° and virtual and augmented reality experiences for viewers. Their films span five continents and profile courageous individuals, bringing new and innovative stories to the stateside audience. They have received numerous accolades for filmmaking, including a 2016 Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Short, as well as recognition as finalists for both the 2016 Emmy Awards and the 2016 Peabody Awards.

[1] http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/global/diarrhea-burden.html

Media Contacts:
Rita Gorenberg
The Clorox Company 
Rita.Gorenberg@Clorox.com 
510-208-4149

Christina MacDonald
AOL
christina.macdonald@teamaol.com 
617-301-4181

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SOURCE The Clorox Company