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