'Rethinking Our Drinking' Campaign

The 'Rethinking our Drinking'campaign was launched on March 11th, 2010.

The centrepiece of the ‘Rethinking our Drinking’ campaign is an impactful TV advertisement which aims to promote personal re-appraisal of drinking behaviour and strong disapproval of public drunkenness that can lead to injury, both physical and emotional, especially of innocent third parties.

The ‘Rethinking our Drinking’ campaign is informed by extensive research and consultation into how young adults feel about excessive drinking, public drunkenness, and the entrenched cultural perceptions that exist in Ireland around alcohol consumption. It builds on the positive response to the successful drinkaware.ie ‘Had Enough’ campaign.

The TV advertisement features canned laughter, reflecting the fact that many young people do regard some drunken antics as being quite funny. But it builds to a dramatic conclusion where the laughter stops, and the viewer is challenged by being asked: “Still think that’s all just a bit of a laugh?”

The ‘Rethinking Our Drinking’ campaign will run for the next two years. The CCTV advertisement will run on television and in cinemas, and will be backed by a series of tangible actions on other advertising platforms, including outdoor, radio and online. The tangible actions will include information on what is a standard drink and practical advice on ways to moderate your drinking, such as pacing alcoholic drinks with water or soft drinks.

Given the dramatic rise in home drinking, the campaign will have a particular focus on the provision of information and resources to enable the home drinker manage his/her drinking in a responsible way.