In Panama City, Panama, even the potholes are complaining about potholes. Damaged streets in the city are being outfitted with devices that will send out a tweet every time someone drives over the damaged pavement.
Created and installed by advertising agency P4 Ogilvy and Mather on behalf of Panama TV station Telemetro, the pressure-sensitive sensors have been placed in the cement craters throughout the city. Every time a driver runs over the sensor, it sends out a tweet directed at the Panama Department of Public Works.
Twitter account @Elhuecotwitero shoots off the reports, alerting the authorities with a bit of snark.
♪ ♫ ♬ Down in a hole, losing my soul, down in a hole, losing control I'd like to fly but my wings have been so denied ♪ ♫ ♬ @MOPdePanama
— El Hueco Twitero (@Elhuecotwitero) June 2, 2015
Un minuto de silencio por los huecos que están desapareciendo @MOPdePanama
— El Hueco Twitero (@Elhuecotwitero) June 2, 2015
🎶 Show me the meaning of being lonely Is this the feeling I need to walk with? Tell me whyyyyy 🎶 @MOPdePanama
— El Hueco Twitero (@Elhuecotwitero) June 1, 2015
The campaign has succeeded in getting attention, including catching the eye of public works minister Ramón Arosemena, who appeared on TV to address the issue. He cited poor construction and lack of funding for the growing problem on the Panama City streets.
Panama City is not the first community to utilize Twitter for fixing roads. Following the typhoon that hit the country in 2012, the Philippines asked its citizens to tweet out pictures and locations of road damage to help the department of public works locate and fix the damages.
In Manchester, England, a paint-wielding activist going by Wanksy drew attention to potholes by drawing large penises around them.
But the potholes in the Philippines and England didn’t sing songs and bemoan their own sad existence. Please, Panama City, put these poor potholes out of their misery.
H/T Adweek | Screengrab via P4 Ogilvy/Vimeo