Diageo and other alcohol firms back anti-binge campaign

by Gemma Charles, marketingmagazine.co.uk 20-Jan-09, 08:45

LONDON - The alcohol industry is in talks with advertising agency Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO about creating a major responsible-drinking ad campaign.

Companies including Diageo and Bacardi Brown-Forman are planning a national campaign intended to make binge-drinking socially unacceptable among young people.

The Project 10 initiative was formed following high-level meetings hosted by the prime minister between retailers, alcohol firms and media owners.

AMV created the ads for Diageo's £3m 'The Choice is yours' campaign, launched at the end of 2007.

The agency was not available for comment, while a spokesman for Project 10 said no appointment had been made.

Separately, beer brand BrewDog's Speedball has been found in breach of the Portman Group's code of practice and is being pulled from sale for associating itself with drugs.

The drink is marketed as a 'class A ale' containing 'a vicious cocktail of active ingredients' that create a 'happy-sad' effect. Portman Group chief executive David Poley said this was 'grossly irresponsible'.