Curtin University’s Alcohol Programs Team at the Public Health Advocacy Institute of WA, in partnership with the Mental Health Commission, has unveiled a new campaign designed to reinforce the importance of delaying adolescent alcohol initiation until at least 18 years of age.
Previous ‘Alcohol.Think Again’ campaigns have successfully raised community awareness of the vulnerabilities adolescents face as a result of drinking alcohol, so this campaign by 303 MullenLowe sought to tackle the issue from a different angle, according to the agency’s planning director, John Linton.
“We wanted to focus on the pressure parents feel when it comes to letting their underage children try alcohol – whether that’s pressure coming from the kids themselves or because of a belief that it’s ‘what other parents do’ – because research showed it had a significant influence on their ultimate decision-making,” he said.
Acknowledging the scepticism that often comes from hearing a message like this from an authoritative voice, the campaign leverages an unexpected set of spokespeople – the teens themselves.
Richard Berney, executive creative director 303 MullenLowe, said: “At the heart of this idea is children asking their parents to be parents.
“I have two adolescent children, and their powers of persuasion are surprising and relentless. To me, this idea was the one that held me – my kids ultimately need me to say ‘no’.
The campaign will be seen throughout the year across TV, cinema, social media, digital and print channels.
To further empower parents, it will be supported by a range of online resources including a series of interviews with members of Alcohol.Think Again’s expert reference group explaining in more detail the alcohol-related harm adolescents can face.
CREDITS
Client: Curtin University’s alcohol programs team at the Public Health Advocacy Institute of WA
Research fellow: Julia Stafford
Research associate: Danica Keric
Client: Mental Health Commission
Senior project officer: Hannah Samsa
Manager of public education and health promotion programs: Christine Yeang
Project support officer: Laura Moniodis
Creative agency: 303 MullenLowe
Executive creative director: Richard Berney
Copywriter: Melita Masters
Art director: Bianca Galan-Dwyer
Producer: Rozanne Fretz
Planning director: John Linton
Client services director: Todd Baker
Production company: Beautiful Pictures
Producer: Kate Downie
Director: Jess Bluck
Post-production company: The Office of John Cheese
Director of production: Patrick O’Sullivan
Sound production: Nick Gallagher, Brainestorm
Photographer: Sam Harris Photography
Media agency: OMD WA
Account director: Emma Groves
Account manager: Molly Trumble
Digital account manager: Samantha Marx