The UK’s biggest alcohol producers, pub groups and retailers are working together on a joint on and off-trade social responsibility campaign with the aim of improving the image of alcohol, M&C Report has learnt.
The initiative, dubbed Project 10, was formed in response to a challenge by the Prime Minister at a government summit on alcohol misuse at the end of last year for alcohol makers and sellers to unite to tackle concerns over alcohol misuse.
The campaign, which if approved, is intended to run over a five-year period.
Through advertising campaigns and promotions, it will attempt to influence attitudes to the social acceptability of drunkenness and – it is hoped – challenge a minority to reconsider their behaviour when consuming alcohol.
Project 10 is thought to have attracted widespread support. It includes brewers such as Coors, InBev, SABMiller and Scottish & Newcastle, drinks makers Bacardi, Diageo and Pernod Ricard as well as the biggest pub groups, such as Mitchells & Butlers, the supermarkets and trade groups, like the British Beer & Pub Association.
The working party behind the project is currently in discussions with the government about launching the initiative within the context of existing schemes such as Know Your Limits and any new government proposals that are being considered.
It is understood that the project will see millions of pounds invested in advertising campaigns.
A spokesperson for Project 10 said that the aim of the initiative was to show that the industry could work cohesively as one body with the government to help reduce the number of adults who regularly drunk excessively, but was not intended to be a lobby group.
It is understood that in tackling attitudes to drunkenness, the group hopes to replicate the success of the drink-driving campaign in the 1980s and 1990s, which helped in making the practice socially unacceptable.
The project follows criticism that the industry has failed to work together to respond to concerns raised by the government about irresponsible drinking.
