Complaining about a lack of Wi-Fi or an overbearing waitress is common on Twitter; they’re called “First World Problems,” and they even have an hashtag. For example:
Indeed, it’s tough out there.
Advertising firm DDB, however, is trying to show how hard it is for Haitians by hijacking the #FirstWorldProblems hashtag for an ad for the Haitian charity “Water Is Life.” In the ad—which has grabbed more than 1 million YouTube views in a week—Haitian people read tweets associated with the hashtag.
It’s a powerful spot, and one that’s drawn criticism from people who, according to
Adweek, claim its disingenuous to co-opt ironic tweets for this cause.
See for yourself: