# Lush’s Error 404 bath bomb to help fund #KeepItOn digital rights campaign

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/11/26/lushs-error-404-bath-bomb-help-fund-keepiton-digital-rights-campaign/
- Published: 2016-11-26T17:44:41+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**Handmade cosmetics brand Lush has introduced Error 404, “a bath bomb with a difference”.
Sales of the fizzy fragrant product will help organisations fight against government-
enforced internet shutdowns.**

All profits from the sale of the [Error 404 bath bomb](https://uk.lush.com/products/new-products/error-404)
will be donated by Lush to a global Digital Fund that supports the work of charity
Access Now and other grassroots organisations working in the field of digital rights.
The total fundraising target for the Digital Fund is £250,000.

Lush is selling the product appropriately enough for £4.04.

## Advertisement

The product is hand-made from 13 ingredients including vanilla extract, gardenia
extract, antique gold lustre, citric acid and glacier blue lustre. It should be 
dropped into the bath, where its gold exterior will fizz away, revealing a blue 
pool “with a secret message”.

Lush’s Error 404 video

 

## Error 404 and #KeepItOn

[Error 404](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTTP_404) is the standard HTTP code for
indicating a “page not found” on web servers. It is the kind of page that users 
might see if their government shut down the Internet in their country.

According to Access Now:

> “An internet shutdown happens when someone— usually a government — intentionally
> disrupts the internet or mobile apps to control what people say or do. Shutdowns
> are also sometimes called “blackouts” or “kill switches”.”

Access Now has documented over 50 internet shutdowns in 2016 alone, “and the number
is only increasing”. The organisation and Lush chose Black Friday (25 November) 
to launch the global #KeepItOn campaign against internet shutdowns together with
a limited edition Error 404 bath bomb.
 

> Help [@AccessNow](https://twitter.com/accessnow?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) defend the
> [#DigitalRights](https://twitter.com/hashtag/DigitalRights?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> of users everywhere by telling world leaders to [#KeepItOn](https://twitter.com/hashtag/KeepItOn?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw).
> [https://t.co/nCKwokxrIj](https://t.co/nCKwokxrIj) [pic.twitter.com/GkhHk1MC68](https://t.co/GkhHk1MC68)
> — LUSH UK (@LushLtd) [November 25, 2016](https://twitter.com/LushLtd/status/802099578212188160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

Anyone purchasing the bath bomb from Lush’s website will encounter a intervening
page that mimics an Internet shutdown on the device, which then resolves into an
explanation of the #KeepItOn campaign. They can choose to proceed to the Lush page
or to sign [Access Now’s petition to world leaders](http://AccessNow.org/KeepItOn).

![Lush and Access Now's #KeepItOn campaign page](https://wfay6x.infiniteuploads.
cloud/2016/11/lush-keepiton-digital-shutdown-campaign-petition.jpg)

_Lush demonstrates what an Internet shutdown might look like, before resolving to
this page._

## Digital Fund

![Access Fund](https://wfay6x.infiniteuploads.cloud/2016/11/lush-keepiton-digital-
campaign.jpg)

_Image: Lush Ltd_

The [Digital Fund](https://uk.lush.com/article/introducing-digital-fund) will offer
grants from £100 to £10,000 to grassroots activists and charities protecting freedom
of expression in the digital era.

The [application process](http://www.digitalfund.org.uk/) will start on **7 December
2016**, and the deadline for completed applications to be submitted is **15 January
2017**.

Applications are accepted from anywhere in the world. Smaller organisations will
be given priority, “particularly those hoping to create long-term change through
education, advocacy and campaigning, or those tackling the root cause of the problem”.

> The stages of Error 404! We're happy to say that profits from this will go to 
> [@accessnow](https://twitter.com/accessnow?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) & grassroots digital
> activists. [#keepiton](https://twitter.com/hashtag/keepiton?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> 🙌 [pic.twitter.com/IeDRFLJeMl](https://t.co/IeDRFLJeMl)
> — Lush Kitchen (@LushKitchen) [November 25, 2016](https://twitter.com/LushKitchen/status/802120698567294977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

 

## Lush Charity Pot

Lush supports other causes and groups from profits from sales of some of its products.
In particular [The Lush Charity Pot](https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/08/30/lush-charity-pot-2015-funding-reached-1-6m-uk-small-charities/)
scheme supports local and global organisations fighting for human rights.
 

 * **In 2012 we covered [The power of the 404 page to help missing children](https://fundraising.co.uk/2012/09/27/power-404-page-help-missing-children/).**
 * **The 404 page has featured in most of our [digital fundraising training courses](http://ukfundraising.eventbrite.co.uk)
   over the past 20 years.**