"Take Poo to the Loo",[2] commonly shortened to "Poo2Loo",[1] was an Indian social media campaign led by UNICEF to combat the country's problems with open defecation. The campaign received a mixed reception online, and continues to be the subject of humour and ridicule on social media.[3]
 Open defecation in India | |
| Date | November 2013[1] |
|---|---|
| Location | India |
| Also known as | "Poo2Loo" |
| Type | Social media campaign |
| Theme | Open defecation |
| Organised by | UNICEF India |
| Website | poo2loo |
The "Poo2Loo" campaign, launched in India in March 2013 by UNICEF India and the Indian Institutes of Technology, aimed to end open defecation as part of the Total Sanitation Campaign initiated by the Indian government in 1999. The campaign encouraged citizens to pledge support through a petition to President Pranab Mukherjee, calling for a cleaner India. Featuring a humorous website with puns, an educational video game Toilet Trek, and the mascot "Mr. Poo," the campaign sought to raise awareness and promote cultural change around sanitation practices.
History
editThe Times of India reported that the idea was developed and initiated in March 2013 after a sanitation conference was organised by UNICEF India and the Indian Institutes of Technology as part of the larger Total Sanitation Campaign, which the Indian government launched in 1999.[1]
Poo2Loo calls on Indians to "take the pledge" and show support by signing the following petition addressed to then President Pranab Mukherjee:[4]
Hon'ble President of India,
I call on you as Head of State to ensure that India rises to the challenge of ending open defecation. As a citizen of India, I am proud of our country's rich and varied culture; we have a beautiful land. However, over 620 million people do not use a toilet and nearly as many accept this practice. The result is an unacceptable level of filth in our environment. This is why I have chosen to take a stand and raise my voice with that of many other young people. We want our sisters and brothers to survive, grow and develop as healthy individuals in a clean country. We urgently request your help. Together we can change India.
The website of the campaign contains many puns and some unusual media, including a simple educational video game called Toilet Trek. The campaign also produced an official music video.[5] The official mascot of the campaign is antihero "Mr. Poo", an anthropomorphic lump of excrement.[6][5]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Sharda, Shailvee (6 March 2014). "Poo2Loo to break open defecation taboo". The Times of India. Times News Network. Archived from the original on 24 April 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
- ^ "About the Campaign". poo2loo.com. Archived from the original on 19 March 2015.
- ^ "'Take the poo to the loo': Remembering UNICEF's amusing song against open defecation in India". Scroll.in. 9 October 2017. Archived from the original on 30 November 2020. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
- ^ "The Pledge". poo2loo.com. Archived from the original on 18 March 2015.
- ^ a b Ruble, Kayla (18 April 2014). "UNICEF Is Inviting India to a Poo Party". Vice News. Archived from the original on 30 July 2015. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
- ^ McGrath, Timothy (16 April 2014). "UNICEF's 'Poo2Loo' campaign targets open defecation in India with weird games, videos, shitty puns, and a turd mascot". GlobalPost. Archived from the original on 16 April 2014.