The latest DrinkWise ad is a beer commercial, not public health message
The latest responsible drinking campaign from DrinkWise is a cleverly disguised beer ad, not a public health message, argues FARE’s Michael Thorn.
The alcohol industry’s latest beer advertisement masquerading as a public health message was created, according to DrinkWise, ‘to promote a safer healthier drinking culture by keeping the event the focus, not the drinking’.
Perhaps something was lost in translation, although this seems unlikely with one of the country’s smartest ad agencies, Clemenger BBDO on the job. More likely, DrinkWise, an industry financed and controlled body, just couldn’t help themselves.
If the aim was to further reinforce the relationship between the AFL and beer, and to showcase the amber liquid on the AFL’s biggest day of the year, then the advertising creatives have done a terrific job. Credit where credit is due. There is an art to creating a faux public health ad that, far from damaging your bottom line, actually enhances it.
That’s a win for the alcohol industry, but a big loss for the rest of us.
So what is wrong with the DrinkWise advertisement?
The latest campaign:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5JkWL2Xb2M
Let’s return to DrinkWise’s stated intent – ‘to promote a safer healthier drinking culture by keeping the event the focus, not the drinking’.
DrinkWise could have chosen to make a more powerful ad; one less glamorous, and more direct. An opening shot of the sporting action, a pan to the crowds on their feet, and a cut away to the public toilets, a supporter passed out in a stall, covered in his own vomit.
Too heavy handed you say. It’s true, not all successful health campaigns rely on a sledgehammer to get their message across but there’s a big difference between subtle and deliberately vague.
In an interview with Mumbrella DrinkWise marketing manager Simon Strahan said DrinkWise worked with its contributors from the alcohol industry to create and communicate the new initiative.
The ad is in fact endorsed by Carton United Breweries. It’s not surprising then that a glass of beer features in every single frame.
The ad, which is also endorsed by the AFL, features digitally animated AFL players in full flight in the beer glass. Carlton United Breweries have clearly spared no expense on the production. Far from missing the action, the special effects are so good, you are left with the impression that the drinker has the best seat in the house.
For a campaign apparently about keeping the event in focus and not the drinking, the advertisement does a fine job of keeping the spotlight tightly focussed on both.
That’s what a top ad agency and an alcohol industry with deep pockets can achieve. It’s a great advertisement for beer, but it’s absolutely not a health promotion campaign, regardless of how DrinkWise want to spin it.
- Michael Thorn is CEO of the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE)
Updated 4.30pm: DrinkWise and Carlton & United Breweries have this afternoon released statements responding to FARE’s criticism and a new campaign. Click here to see them.
I’ll drink to that
User ID not verified.
The message may be subtle, but I get it.
I think the ad is well done, but I don’t think it will get through to the people who really need it – then again, will anything? I don’t think even the aforementioned sledgehammer would.
User ID not verified.
Hmm, interesting view of it.
On the surface it could be interpreted as affirming the association of tasty cold beer with watching sport.
However, the message behind it is that drinking hinders your enjoyment it because…well, you get drunk and don’t pay attention.
As you say, whether that’s a strong enough deterrent is debatable.
User ID not verified.
Actually theres evidence that suggest extreme images such as ‘a cut away to the public toilets, a supporter passed out in a stall, covered in his own vomit.’ are counteractive.
It makes drinking look like an ‘extreme sport’ and therefore offers a ‘challenge’ to drinkers.
User ID not verified.
The alcohol industry developing a public health campaign that does not hurt their bottom line – unlikely. This campaign is clearly conflicted between ‘trying’ to portray a weak public health message and promoting the product (a glass of nice cold beer). I think the product wins.
User ID not verified.
This ad makes want a beer. Good for Carlton united, bad for my health..
User ID not verified.
The ad doesn’t make me want to drink more responsibly it makes me want to sit closer and enjoy my drink.
User ID not verified.
I agree with Karlie, unlikely that the alcohol industry would do anything that would affect their bottom line. I think the ad is really clever – It makes the industry look like it is ‘doing the right thing’, but to me it just makes me want to drink the beer! And the AFL player in the glass is really cool. I wonder how many people will try and drink until they see the player in the glass?
User ID not verified.
Arguably the greatest conflict of interest here is a paid employee (let alone the CEO) of an alternate Alcohol-moderation organisation writing an article attacking DrinkWise. The pool of funding available to such organisations must be tightening Mr Thorn (wouldn’t want to effect the $1m revenue your company enjoys on a yearly basis)?
Beyond the political agendas of all of this, I think the spot is actually pretty decent. I’m trying to get into the head-space of a mad footy fan, sitting on the couch with his slab of XXXX Gold when this ad came on. I would stop. I would watch. I would think.
Job well-done.
User ID not verified.
Was there actually any football in the background, I didn’t notice. The player in the glass is cool, they have a point as it didn’t make me think that I’d missed the game but rather that I’d like a beer!
User ID not verified.
@Conflicted messaging?
FARE openly states they are about sensible drinking, and this article backs up that goal. Where on earth is the conflicting message?! It is 100% consistent.
On the other hand DrinkWise state they are about sensible drinking, but any reduction in consumption represents a loss to their sponsors.
User ID not verified.
I can, in all fairness, see how this interpretation has been drawn. But I think (suspect) that in reality it’s more likely to be a case of a clever creative idea having an unintended consequence rather than people sitting down and figuring out a way to punk the system. If this idea were presented to you as a scamp or concept, it’d come across as quite a smart way to marry the thought – the more you drink the less you see. A message I took out when I first saw the ad, for what it’s worth.
User ID not verified.
the alcohol industry needs to do something – they are playing the long game here to prevent over the top knee jerk reactions that will hurt Australians, and therefore their long term future.
if drinking is demonised they lose in the long run – they have learnt from the mistakes of tobacco.
if drinking for your enjoyment, not obliteration becomes the new norm –
if they wanted to sell more beer, they would just run a beer ad.
they dont need an agenda here, the public doesnt know, or care that drinkwise are industry funded.
User ID not verified.
Thanks for joining the debate guys. We’ve had responses from CUB and DrinkWise on this, and FARE have launched a new campaign, which we’ve posted here:
https://mumbrella.com.au/latest-drinkwise-ad-beer-commercial-public-health-message-253361
Thanks,
Alex – editor, Mumbrella
That article from CUB is spot on! Exactly as I was saying.
How can an organisation who pay themselves upwards of $1m (of taxpayer money) every year and don’t do any significant work to promote alcohol moderation messages, come out and try to degrade another organisation who has done endless good work to try and change the Australian drinking culture?
At least it would seem DrinkWise are spending money on those ‘expensive special effects’ to try and do good within the community, rather than putting it in their back pocket.
User ID not verified.
Yeah it’s cool, because we read the blurb and what it’s supposed to be about. To anyone else it says enjoy those amazing footy moments with a beer. To be honest it’s a great insight and idea but executed to hero the beer.
As for conflict of interest from FARE, maybe, but it’s a but unfair calling foul considering the massive resources available to the alcohol industry and the piffling budgets available to those trying to keep us healthy.
User ID not verified.
Given you both (DrinkWise & FARE) claim to have the same/similar goals, wouldn’t it have been more productive to attempt to work with a well-funded industry body rather than using resources taking petty pot shots at them about the execution about one of their ads?
I fail to see what an piece like this achieves.
User ID not verified.
Let’s face it! We know extreme images of the impact of drinking are not effective, so well done! But anyone that understands the brain, knows an image of beer cues/triggers a craving for a beer, regardless of what might be said or written to contradict the image. Our brains are hardwired to respond in that manner.
So I’d like to see what can be created to moderate alcohol consumption when we don’t use an image of beer.
User ID not verified.
‘a cut away to the public toilets, a supporter passed out in a stall, covered in his own vomit.’???
Why? That sounds more like an anti drinking campaign. The stated objective is to encourage drinking in a responsible way. The key word being encourage.
It’s about mindset. It’s not saying ‘don’t drink’… it’s saying don’t be a dickhead when you do.
It’s not supposed to resemble an anti-drugs campaign
User ID not verified.