FreeWater is a paradigm-shifting, philanthropic marketing startup that is implementing an innovative, eco-friendly, BPA-free product as a new type of advertising medium; 10 cents from each beverage is donated to charity to build water wells for people in need
FreeWater Inc. is a paradigm-shifting, philanthropic marketing startup that uses free spring water in aluminum bottles and paper cartons as the vehicle to put the right message in the right person’s hands. With 10 cents from each beverage being donated to charity to build water wells for people in need, solving the global water scarcity crisis is a key objective of the company. The product is eco-friendly and BPA-free and is paid for by the ads printed directly onto the aluminum bottles and cartons. The startup has two main business models: B2B and D2C, and is an innovative new way to advertise. For additional information, see here, or go to www.freewater.io.
FreeWater has also announced its schedule during SXSW 2022. You can find them on the streets of Austin (look for the FreeWater truck!), as well as these public events:
March 11, 5-9 p.m.
March 16, 12-7 p.m.
March 17, 8-10 a.m.
FreeWater’s very first home delivery to a pilot neighborhood.
Watch FreeWater’s TikTok for details!
March 20, 2-7 p.m. Native Hostel at SXSW 2022
After gaining interest from around the world via their highly entertaining TikTok videos, potential advertisers and brands globally have been personally reaching out to the Austin-based company. Business and industry media have gained interest as well. Austin’s own Capital Factory gave FreeWater their “golden ticket” with free office space, and influencers from around the world including Crispy Concords, Atticus, Whos Chaos, ProfessorBroman, and the Quitters Podcast (featuring Julie Bowen and Chad Sanders), are leveraging the brand to supplement their own marketing platforms.
“I am super excited about being a part of this incredible startup here in my ‘new’ hometown of Austin, Texas,” said Atticus, who has his ad on the latest run of FreeWater. “I love the artwork and packaging and feel like this concept could be game-changing both in global philanthropy and marketing. Can’t wait to see these bottles around town this SXSW!” “FreeWater’s packaging is a literal blank canvas and advertisers have the ability to print just about anything as long as it isn’t harmful, hateful, or fake news,” said Josh Cliffords, Founder of FreeWater. “And through the use of QR codes, you can also connect anything that is on the web which includes websites, videos, shopping, news, downloads, social media, Augmented Reality, coupons, contests, donation sites, educational materials, and much more.”

“This approach of funding water through advertising brings a unique opportunity and appeal to companies that desire to connect with conscious consumers,” said a recent article about the company. “Consumers are looking for sustainable and charitable opportunities to align with their purchases. The value of social impact on economic spending is a phenomenon that has taken over human consumption by storm and increased brand loyalty for younger generations.”
FreeWater will revolutionize logistics and last mile delivery “Free and negatively priced goods enable new types of manufacturing and distribution models,” said Cliffords. “One of many of these new processes will be on display during SXSW when FreeWater launches its first home delivery pilot in a local Austin neighborhood in Crestview. Free products will enable us to achieve a level of efficiency that isn’t possible when goods cost money. When a product costs money, companies must deliver it to the person who purchased the product. Alternatively, free groceries will ultimately come with free local delivery, enabling distribution to thousands of consecutive houses which is extremely green and profitable.”
In 2021, FreeWater managed to distribute more than 32,000 beverages and also financed their first water project at a primary school in Kenya which was completed in December. The year ahead will be the startup’s breakout year as they are already forecasting a quarter of a million or more beverages which is being fueled by the power of free products and their numerous TikTok accounts.
Founder Josh Cliffords created FreeWater after volunteering with refugees who had revealed the water scarcity issues they had faced. At present, 800 million people lack access to safe drinking water while slightly less than one-half of the global population, 3.6 billion people or 47%, live in areas that suffer water scarcity at least one month each year. Cliffords sought out a for profit solution to provide free, clean water and build infrastructure for communities to obtain water. “When you do the math, we only need 10% of Americans to choose our free product so we can solve the global water crisis permanently,” said Cliffords. “That’s water wells or systems put in place for 800 million people in need. And each time we introduce a new product it will donate to a different charitable cause. I wanted to change the experience of giving to charity and giving back to society and make it as simple as drinking a free bottle of water or eating a free slice of pizza. Because if saving a life or the environment was that simple, everyone would do it.”
Based in Austin, Texas, the company has created a paradigm-shifting marketing concept aimed to evolve into the world’s first free supermarket and to disrupt the food and beverage industry. Water is just the first of many products that the company plans to make free and supported by advertising.
“It’s important to give the world free access to water – many people don’t realize that water is a publicly traded commodity and bottled water is already being sold for 2000 times the price of tap water,” said Cliffords.
“We are leveraging the most advanced innovation in technology, media, entertainment, and shopping and have used them to transform an extremely traditional industry (the food & beverage industry),” said Cliffords. “We’ve created new types of distribution models that are only possible with free products and new types of manufacturing methods that we will utilize in the future.”
FreeWater will also construct special partnerships for 501(c)(3) organizations such as their recent partnership with the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer March in Central Park NYC. The product’s “blank canvas” enables the startup to fundraise money for nonprofits while supplying patrons with FreeWater.