Obviously clean water can wait

Corporate and brand guidelines are the bane of many an agency creative.

There's nothing more frustrating than seeing an interesting idea crushed by the guideline police.

If there was one brand I wouldn't have thought you'd have a problem just getting ideas out with, it's Unicef.

The work they do is far to important to let a typeface or colour treatment get in the way. Right?

Sadly no.

Seems the Australian launch of the Droga5 initiated Tap Project has been postponed until 2010.

If you're not familiar with the Tap Project, it gets people to pay for tap water at restaurants, with funds raised going to help supply clean water to people who need it.

This is important work.Yet Unicef have delayed the launch by a year.

Why?

Because global guidelines and support collateral will not be ready in time for the launch.

Alison Overton of Unicef had this to say:

"We wanted to do it properly and as management had changed to Geneva, guidelines , art work and training were not developed."

As Derryn Hinch would say - Shame Unicef shame.