Water Corp urges WA to ‘Break Up With Bad Water Habits’ in new campaign via The Brand Agency
This week marks the launch of Water Corporation’s new campaign, ‘Break Up With Bad Water Habits’, developed in collaboration with The Brand Agency. This initiative addresses the critical need for Western Australians to adopt more waterwise behaviours, with a focus on shorter showers and adhering to sprinkler rostered watering days.
While new water sources remain essential, the campaign emphasises that the biggest impact comes from the small choices we make every day. By breaking the “autopilot” routines that lead to waste, Western Australians can play a direct role in protecting this precious resource for generations to come.
Building on the foundation of Water Corporation’s ‘Shaping WA’s Water Future’ platform, ‘Break Up With Bad Water Habits’ is the next step in articulating the corporation’s commitment to a sustainable water future. The campaign places the ‘how’ at the forefront, providing clear, actionable steps for the Western Australian community.
The creative approach is designed to be engaging and memorable, leveraging wit and humour to break through the everyday noise. It seeks to make water use visible again, not through guilt, but by prompting people to question habits they’ve stopped noticing. The campaign features relatable scenarios that highlight common water-wasting behaviours, encouraging a “break up” with these old routines.
Blanche McKie, Copywriter, The Brand Agency, said: “We saw this as an opportunity to explore our relationship with water. To reflect that, maybe we are getting a little co-dependent with our showers and gardens. Breaking up with a bad habit is tough, but this campaign kicks off the conversation and offers up solutions in a palatable way.”
Rach Ivey, Team Leader – Brand Campaigns & Customer Strategy, Water Corporation, said: “Our customer research shows that 64% of customers don’t know the recommended shower time. Additionally, 1 in 5 don’t know their watering days. Shower length and irrigation are the most impactful on water savings. Some customers are new to WA and some younger audiences may not have experienced drought conditions before, so the campaign directly addresses shower length and sprinkler use. The use of non-authoritative tone supports behaviour change in a relatable way.”
Evan Murie, Business Director, The Brand Agency, said: “Although we’ve had what appears to be a wet winter, not much water has made its way to our dams. This campaign is designed to help change behaviour and get Western Australians to break their bad water habits before we get to the hotter months ahead.”
The campaign launched across TV, OLV, audio, OOH and social throughout August 2025.
Credits
Client: Water Corporation
Peta Maddock, Richard Quance, Rachel Ivey and Savannah Rayner
Agency: The Brand Agency, Perth
Executive Creative Director: Ali Shabaz
Creative Director: Steve Straw
Copywriter: Blanche McKie
Art Director: Ellen Treharne
Design: Dan Agostino, Clayton West, Luke Lucas, George Cooke
Strategy: Daniella Chadinha
Account Management: Evan Murie, Sophie Fielding, Sara Cunningham
Media: Ang Naaykens, Darren Friel, Jovana Maletic
Agency Producer: Rozanne Fretz & Liam Crighton
Post-production: Mason Truong
Artwork: Julian Farnan, Nicola Commons, Paul Connelly
Production Company: Beautiful Pictures
Music/Audio: Fable