Finish Creates First Monument to Never Be Seen

Finish® Creates the First Monument Meant to Never Be Seen

Finish® aims to inspire change and generate awareness around the worldwide water crisis through first-of-its-kind, underwater monument

Parsippany, N.J., May 23, 2023 – Finish®, a Reckitt brand and a leader in dishwasher detergent brands, has unveiled the “HOPEFUL MONUMENT,” – a monument created in the hopes that it will never actually be seen to bring attention to the larger water crisis issue affecting all bodies of water worldwide. While most monuments commemorate the past and are placed in museums or parks, the Finish® monument is meant to inspire action for the future and sits at the bottom of an at-risk lake, meant to never be seen as long as we take action. The “HOPEFUL MONUMENT” will only become visible if water levels drop low enough to reveal it, at which point it will be too late.

“By 2025, two-thirds of the world’s population may face water shortages, and ecosystems around the world will suffer even more¹,” says Tarik Bayar, Marketing Director for Finish at Reckitt. “With this ‘HOPEFUL MONUMENT,’ and through our partnership with National Geographic, Finish® wants to shed light on this crisis, and show consumers how they can join in the fight to save water."

The monument, which is sunk in Pierce Lake, Texas, a state that has experienced extreme drought conditions², represents Finish’s commitment to continue fighting declining water levels and water scarcity around the world, for a brighter future for our planet.

The brand worked with local Texas sculptor, Stuart Simpson, to craft a one-of-a-kind sculpture that depicts the very thing it is honoring. Made from limestone that is native to Texas, the monument draws inspiration from rock formations, waterflow, waterfalls, flora and fauna unique to many of the endangered bodies of water in the Southwest. A first for Simpson, the notion of his work not ever being seen in service of sparking change is something he is proud to partake in.

“Though I’ve been working with stone almost my entire life, Finish’s ‘HOPEFUL MONUMENT’ is the first-ever piece of art I’ve created that is never meant to be seen, and I couldn’t be more excited to be involved,” says Stuart Simpson, HOPEFUL MONUMENT Sculptor. “As a Texas native, I’m familiar with our state’s drought situation and the water crisis as a whole, so I was eager to contribute because of the powerful message, and to help spread awareness on this important issue.”

Finish® has a longstanding history of driving impact and inspiring change, through the brand’s ‘Skip the Rinse’ purpose campaign, which encourages consumers to skip pre-rinsing their dishes before placing them in the dishwasher, ultimately saving up to 20 gallons of water each time. To-date, consumers who have pledged to skip the rinse have helped save over 22 million gallons of water³.

To continue the fight to conserve water, Finish is also partnering with World Wildlife Fund to help replenish and preserve one of America’s greatest and most endangered rivers - the Rio Grande (also known as the Rio Bravo in Mexico). Nearly 16 million people rely on the Rio Grande⁴ and together WWF and Finish will encourage Americans to do what they can, including reduce household water consumption, so that we can sustain and help support precious freshwater habitats and local water supplies for generations to come.

“The Rio Grande is an iconic landscape teeming with wildlife, and a critical water resource for millions. It’s also under immense pressure because we have taken it for granted for far too long,” said Michele Thieme, the Freshwater Vice President and Deputy Director for WWF-US. “Safeguarding this river requires action and commitment from all sectors—government, business, and individual people, too. Together with Finish, we will invest in projects that replenish the Rio Grande and educate Americans about the importance of this river, showing how collective actions can make a huge impact.”

“Monuments exist to remind us of all the important things we’ve lost in the past,” said Josh Schildkraut, Executive Creative Director at Havas New York and the creative lead behind the project. “Each a reminder of all that we can no longer see, touch, or experience –and if we're not careful, our bodies of water will be added to that list. We hope that the ‘HOPEFUL MONUMENT’ will inspire action and we are proud to partner with Finish to bring this campaign to life and to advocate for such an important cause.”

The “HOPEFUL MONUMENT” concept and campaign was developed by long-term creative agency partner, Havas New York. You can watch the campaign video HERE.

For more information visit: Hopefulmonument.com.

¹ Source: UNESCO–WWAP (World Water Assessment Programme), 2012.

² Source: National Integrated Drought Information System, August 2022.

³ Source: All water data sourced from www.epa.gov, Clear U&A, SGS and the US Census Bureau.

⁴ Source: Mexican National Institute for Statistics and Geography, INEGI (2010). Plassin et al (2020).