Young women told not to do drunk in Portman Group ad

by Daniel Farey-Jones,, Brand Republic 02-Dec-04, 09:00

LONDON – Girls falling over and throwing up is billed as an average night out for a group of twentynothings in a new cinema ad from the Portman Group, as it continues its campaign against binge drinking, this time targeting young women who drink to excess.

The ad highlights the 'Jekyll and Hyde' effect of binge drinking. It shows a young woman being interviewed at work and playing down her answers about what she did at the weekend, intercut with scenes showing the real extent of her drinking.

She starts the night by having several drinks with two friends, then goes on to vomit in the nightclub toilets. The spot ends with her falling over in the street and needing her friends to pick her up. The final message is "If you do do drink. Don't do drunk."

Women are being targeted because, among women aged 16-24, the proportion drinking more than 35 units of alcohol a week has more than tripled over the past 15 years, rising from 3% to 10%. The recommended weekly intake for women is 21 units, with one 175ml glass of red wine containing approximately 2.2 units of alcohol.

The ad was directed by Michael Keillor of Iodine Media, who also produced the Portman Group's first cinema ad, "toilet teaser", in October 2003. "Toilet teaser" was made in two versions, one aimed at male drinkers and one at female drinkers.

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