Last week, we spotted an incredible sight in the middle of lunch hour traffic a car stripped of its external panels, with all its inner mechanisms exposed. When our shock abated, we noticed a large sign on top of the virtually naked vehicle: Use only what you need. Turns out this was yet another message from Denver Water to convince us to reduce our citys water consumption by 22%.
Citizens are inundated with hundreds of messages in a given hour. We take ’em, we leave ’em. But Denver Waters skeletal car is nothing short of brilliant.
Denvers campaign to conserve water includes websites, funny pledges, newspaper advertisements and text message-style phrases on bus placards and billboards (such as B STNGY). Lots of things. But this minimalist car just a bare frame without a single unnecessary accoutrement is the most powerful image ever.
When the lights changed, the driver of Denver Waters traveling carcass-on-wheels made a left turn. He saw us and waved. We saw him and saluted. Without exchanging a word, we found ourselves promising to use our water more wisely no frills, no waste, only what we need.
