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Responsible Drinking Message of the Year 2007

By db staff writer

Portman Group – Booze: the bad and the ugly

The Portman Group bolstered its ongoing “Don’t do drunk” responsible drinking campaign with cinema advertising last year. The positioning for the advert was the result of Home Office research, as well as a survey commissioned by The Portman Group.

This resulted in a target audience of young men for the cinema advertising. Further research was carried out with focus groups consisting of the advert’s target audience to further ensure its relevance. “Booze: the bad and the ugly” was then shown before screenings of films relevant to its target audience to maximise the impact of its message.

The judges commented that “the Portman Group’s campaign had impact and challenged the received perceived wisdom about how the sensible drinking message should be promoted. They should be applauded for being brave enough to tackle the issue at its core.”

The Portman Group was established by alcohol producers in the UK to promote responsible drinking. The group’s campaign has since been transferred to The Drinkaware Trust, a partnership between industry, health professionals and the voluntary sector.

THE SHORTLIST 2007

Diageo/Tesco – Drink Responsibly
The intention behind this partnership between Diageo and Tesco was to spread a responsible drinking message in Tesco stores nationally. The campaign was deliberately timed to coincide with the festive season in 2006, and carried on into the beginning of this year. The message featured a striking “Drink responsibly” line, followed by two suggestions for consumers. The campaign received positive responses from consumers in subsequent research.

Wine & Spirit Trade Association – Social Responsibility Programme
The WSTA’s responsible drinking message set a goal of reducing sales of alcohol to under-18s. The association is well positioned in the off-trade retail sector to tackle this issue, using “No ID no sale” and “Under 21?” posters and badges, as well as road shows to achieve this. It set up the Retail of Alcohol Standards Group, and has distributed the material to nearly 20,000 member outlets, as well as many other independents. The campaign has been well received, with positive feedback from figures such as Home Office minister Paul Goggins MP, who commented that the activity “set an impressive precedent for prompt action”.

London Borough of Enfield Licensing Team – Operation Lions
Enfield’s responsible drinking campaign, entitled “Operation Lions”, consisted of a significant partnership between the Licensing Team and Trading Standards (from the local authority), as well as the Metropolitan Police Service and the London Fire Brigade. The campaign’s core message was simply “Drink responsibly”, linked to the football World Cup. There are over 130 pubs in the borough, and only one reported any major issues during the tournament. The campaign included a survey of pub licensees, advice visits to “high-risk” premises, and the provision of a mobile telephone number for licensees to report potential problems.

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