£100 Million Social Marketing Campaign To Encourage Responsible Drinking Announced, UK

Main Category: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs
Article Date: 17 Jul 2009 - 5:00 PDT

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Following Gordon Brown's meeting at Downing Street with Britain's top drinks industry executives he called for them to harness their considerable marketing powers to drive for change in social norm and cultural attitudes towards alcohol in the UK. This has resulted in Project 'N' - a collaboration of the not inconsiderable resources of top companies throughout the UK.

This initiative represents the largest ever media spend on responsible drinking messages. Developed by over 45 companies as the Campaign for Smarter Drinking, it is launched in partnership with independent charity Drinkaware and the Government and is intended to run for 5 years.

The campaign will use outdoor advertising, signs, drink mats in pubs and bars, on-pack and point of sale displays in retailers to deliver its message under the strapline "why let good times go bad?"

It is designed to maximise the potential offered by the direct relationship drinks brands have with consumers. The campaign will not talk down to young adults or tell them what to do, which has been shown not to work. Instead it will emphasise the benefits of responsible enjoyment and offer practical tips such as reminders to drink water or soft drinks, eat food and plan to get home safely.

By both asking questions and reminding consumers about the importance of making smart choices, this campaign aims to shift the culture around alcohol by targeting those who drink to excess without punishing the majority of responsible drinkers.

The Campaign will work in conjunction and alongside other Government and industry initiatives including the Know Your Limits campaign around the Government's recommended daily and weekly unit consumption. The Campaign is intended to run over a five year period with a value of at least £20 million each year over the five year period.

The goal is to reduce public acceptance of drunkenness and to shift public attitudes in order to reduce excessive consumption for 18-34 year olds. It aims to encourage young people to take responsibility for their own behaviour and to pose questions that encourage them to think about their drinking habits. The campaign is working in conjunction with the Department of Health and Home Office to identify KPIs in order to measure the success of the campaign.

The Campaign's strap-line is: Why let good times go bad? This question will form the basis of the Campaign materials which will be presented in various forms: posters, in-store advertising, in bars and pubs, at point of sale, online and other locations.

It targets misuse (those who drink to excess on any given occasion) but in a way which is likely to resonate with consumers, by emphasising the benefits of responsible enjoyment, and offering practical hints and tips rather than telling them what to do and what not to do, which is an approach largely rejected by young adults in particular.

Source
Drinking & You

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