In Rio, partygoers encouraged to use urinals to keep music going

The team behind the Xixi Elétrico campaign placed electricity-generating urinals on a truck that relied on people using the devices for it to continue pumping out music.

We recently reported on the Beer Turnstile campaign that helped reduce rubbish caused by the annual Rio Carnival by offering free train rides home for those handing in their empty cans. However, a more difficult problem posed by the event is the number of revellers using the streets as a toilet. To combat this antisocial behavior, a campaign titled Xixi Elétrico – or Electric Pee – placed electricity-generating urinals on a truck that relied on people using the devices for it to continue pumping out music.

Devised by creative agency JWT Brazil for AfroReggae – a nonprofit that aims to promote positive culture among the youth communities of the country – the campaign installed specially-created urinals in various locations among the crowds at the festival in February. The toilets used the flow of urine to power dynamos inside, which generated electricity that was in turn used to power the NGO’s music truck. The organization informed revellers that the greater the number of people using the urinals, the longer the party would last, giving them an incentive to avoid going in the city streets. The video below explains more about the scheme:

The campaign sought to improve the behavior of partygoers at the famous carnival, while also generating electricity in an eco-friendly manner. A side effect of the initiative was that Afroreggae received a lot of media attention for the stunt, gaining exposure they otherwise couldn’t afford. Could these devices become a more permanent fixture in city streets, or even residents’ homes?

Spotted by: Murray Orange