Wraith is a speculative project that envisions the escalating crisis of water scarcity by positioning water as a survival luxury—a necessity transformed into a symbol of privilege and exclusivity. It becomes a paradoxical luxury: essential for life yet accessible only to the elite, embodying both desperation and opulence. Using branding as a lens, Wraith reflects and magnifies this crisis into a dystopian scenario.

​

The project critiques the commodification of essential resources and the ethical shortcomings of branding as a practice. By presenting water as a luxury product in a dystopian future, Wraith highlights the deepening disparities between social classes and examines how scarcity and desire can be exploited to transform a necessity into an exclusive privilege.

​

Much like gold symbolizes material wealth, water becomes a dual emblem of survival and status, serving as a haunting reminder of humanity’s role in depleting vital resources. Developed in response to the research question, "How can speculative branding visualize the exacerbation of the existing reality of water scarcity in a dystopian future?", Wraith interrogates how branding perpetuates inequality and manipulates perceptions of value.

​

By exploring the intersection of necessity, luxury, and ethics, the project seeks to spark critical discourse on current consumption patterns and the broader implications of resource commodification.