City players will spotlight water issues in their home countries
to educate football fans globally about urgent challenges like water
scarcity and flooding
RYE BROOK, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 27, 2019--
Premier League Champions, Manchester City and Xylem (NYSE:XYL), a
leading global water technology company, have teamed up to launch the
‘Closer Than You Think’ campaign to drive awareness of urgent water
challenges among millions of football fans around the world. The latest
UN data estimates that 3.6 billion people – almost half the global
population – currently live in areas that are potentially water-scarce
at least one month per year and, by 2050, more than 5 billion people
could suffer water shortages due to pressures such as climate change,
increased demand and polluted supplies. Through creative, multimedia
storytelling, the Xylem-Manchester City initiative will show audiences
how every country on earth faces serious – and escalating – water
issues, such as lack of access to clean drinking water and resilience
challenges in the face of increasing severe weather patterns.
The campaign kicked off today with the launch of a dramatic video
featuring Manchester City players Sergio Agüero, David Silva and Ilkay
Gündoğan. Filmed in the iconic Manchester City dressing room, The
Changing Room sees the players surprised by a projection-mapped
display that surrounds them with dystopian visions of the future –
worlds faced with severe drought and flooding. Over the coming weeks,
the Closer To Home video series will raise awareness of the
diverse range of water issues faced across the world, as Manchester City
players, Manchester City Women's team players and New York City FC
players discuss water challenges in their home countries. Fans are
invited to explore behind-the-scenes content and learn about water
solving tips here.
Patrick Decker, Xylem President and Chief Executive Officer, said: “As
part of Xylem’s commitment to creating social value, we are leveraging
creative partnerships to extend our reach and elevate the global
conversation on water. The reality is that the threats posed by the
world’s water challenges are getting closer for us all, and this
campaign is about raising awareness of these challenges and solutions,
and inspiring people of all ages globally to help create a more
water-secure world. We’re excited to build on our unique partnership
with Manchester City, which aims to use the power of football to help
spread our crucial message and, ultimately, further our mission to solve
water.”
Damian Willoughby, Senior Vice President of Partnership at City Football
Group, parent of Manchester City, said: “At Manchester City we are
committed to using football as a platform for improving the lives of
people around the world, and we are delighted to support Xylem for such
an important campaign.”
Joseph Vesey, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at
Xylem, added: “Closer Than You Think is centered on driving the global
conversation about water challenges and solutions and inspiring the next
generation of fans to think differently about water. With the support of
Manchester City players, Manchester City Women's team players and New
York City FC, we have a unique opportunity to reach millions of fans
around the world and inform more people about urgent issues that affect
us all.”
As part of Xylem’s multi-year partnership with Manchester City, Xylem
recently partnered with the Club to deliver clean water towers, WASH
education, and sports and leadership training to communities in
Bangalore, India, as part of an initiative that will benefit over 5,000
children this year. The ‘Cityzens Giving’ project ‘Water Goals,’
sponsored by Xylem, earned the top ranking among six projects in
Manchester City’s annual Cityzens Giving global community initiative,
receiving more than 450,000 votes from football fans around the world.
The Water Goals project in Bangalore is part of Xylem’s ongoing social
impact initiative, conducted by the company’s corporate citizenship
program Watermark, alongside Xylem’s partner Planet Water Foundation,
which is responsible for water tower construction.
About Xylem
Xylem (XYL) is a leading global water technology company committed to
developing innovative technology solutions to the world’s water
challenges. The Company’s products and services move, treat, analyze,
monitor and return water to the environment in public utility,
industrial, residential and commercial building services settings. Xylem
also provides a leading portfolio of smart metering, network
technologies and advanced infrastructure analytics solutions for water,
electric and gas utilities. The Company’s approximately 17,000 employees
bring broad applications expertise with a strong focus on identifying
comprehensive, sustainable solutions. Headquartered in Rye Brook, New
York, with 2018 revenue of $5.2 billion, Xylem does business in more
than 150 countries through a number of market-leading product brands.
The name Xylem is derived from classical Greek and is the tissue that
transports water in plants, highlighting the engineering efficiency of
our water-centric business by linking it with the best water
transportation of all – that which occurs in nature. For more
information, please visit us at www.xylem.com.
About Xylem Watermark
Xylem Watermark, the company’s corporate citizenship program, was
initiated in 2008, with a focus on protecting and providing safe water
resources for communities around the world and also educating people on
water related issues. In 2016, Watermark launched a three-year program
focusing on employee volunteerism globally to drive rapid growth in
employee engagement in providing social value within our communities.
About Manchester City Football Club
Manchester City FC is an English Premier League club initially founded
in 1880 as St Mark’s West Gorton. It officially became Manchester City
FC in 1894 and has since then gone onto win the European Cup Winners’
Cup, five League Championship titles, including three Premier League
titles (2012, 2014, 2018), and five FA Cups. Manchester City FC is one
of seven clubs comprising the City Football Group and counts New York
City FC and Melbourne City FC among its sister clubs.
Under manager Pep Guardiola, one of the most highly decorated managers
in world football, the Club plays its domestic and UEFA Champions League
home fixtures at the Etihad Stadium, a spectacular 55,000 seat arena
that City have called home since 2003. Today, the Stadium sits on the
wider Etihad Campus, which also encompasses the City Football Academy, a
state-of-the-art performance training and youth development facility
located in the heart of East Manchester. Featuring a 7,000 capacity
Academy Stadium, the City Football Academy is also where Manchester City
Women’s Football Club and the Elite Development Squad train on a daily
basis and play their competitive home games.
For more information, please visit www.mancity.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190227005322/en/
Source: Xylem
Jenny Rider
+1 (914) 246-7184
Jenny.Rider@xyleminc.com
Olivia
Dempsey
+353 1 678-9333
Olivia.Dempsey@edelman.com