"Search for the Obvious: Sanitation Is Sexy" Winners Announced

Imagine a world without toilets. Think about the fact that more people die as a result of poor sanitation than road accidents every year. Children who don't go to school because the facilities lack the proper sanitation and toilets. That's exactly what the winning entries from the Acumen Fund's project, "The Search for the Obvious: Sanitation is Sexy," ask us to do.

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In order to educate others about the ongoing sanitation crisis around the world—more than one-third of the world's population lacks access to clean water—The Search for the Obvious has selected the best video, print ad, tweet, essay, and overall campaign to help spread the word.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-22j3QebW0&feature=player_embedded

In Ashleigh Graber and Kenan Reel's video, of the Miami Ad School, they think the solution to a lack of sanitation in the world lies in our ability to talk about s**t. Open and honestly. Their quirky video provides plenty of facts about the crisis and what we can do about it.

Another video, by Sebastian Fernandez, Michael Malz, and Pablo G. Vizcaino, considers what our everyday lives would be like if we really didn't have toilets. It took "Best Campaign" honors. For a good part of the world, it's a fact they can't escape.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yf7T1fq1Gc&feature=player_embedded

You can see all of the winning entries and runner ups here.

The Search for the Obvious is a website dedicated to finding obvious solutions to everyday problems. The project is presented by the Acumen Fund, a nonprofit which works to tackle the societal problems associated with poverty by using entrepreneurial approaches. They're currently working with Ecotact in Kenya to help improve the sanitation needs there.

Image by Kofi_Opuko, the winning entry in the Print Ad category.