Ambev switches from brewing beer to bottling water for flood victims in Rio Grande do Sul

Yesterday, we spotlighted a campaign by Heinz focused on helping immigrants to Brazil. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of Brazilians have been displaced internally by devastating floods in Rio Grande do Sul. It's the worst natural disaster the state has ever seen. A cruel irony of flooding is that it's often paired with a critical shortage of drinking water, which is now the case in Brazil.

Coming to the aid of large swathes of the population struggling to access potable water, brewing behemoth Ambev stopped production of beer at its Viamão plant and switched to bottling water. It purchased new equipment to ramp up production and is partnering with Ball Corporation, which donated cans. Distribution just got started. As of yesterday, the company had already donated 560,000 liters; going forward, it will produce over 850,000 cans of 473 ml of water daily. 

Brands are uniquely positioned to act as first responders in times of crisis, leveraging their resources, infrastructure and reach to provide critical aid. Their swift action can make a significant impact, offering not just relief but also hope to affected communities. With extreme weather events on the rise across the globe, the need for similar interventions will only become more frequent. Has your company dedicated time and energy to imagining how it might respond?