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HPA and DraftFCB’s ultra cringey dad pulls out all the moves to alert parents to upcoming alcohol law changes

We’re big fans of dad dancing—and of the powerful parenting technique of embarrassment—here at StopPress. And those two things have been combined to good effect in a new campaign for the Health Promotion Agency (HPA) via its agency DraftFCB that aims to draw attention to an upcoming law change around the supply of booze to young’uns. 

As of 18 December, changes to the Sale and Supply of Liquor Act 2012 mean that if you’re not the parent or legal guardian, express parental consent will be required before you can supply alcohol to under 18s, whereas before it was basically implied. And those who fail to heed the new law will be up for a $2,000 fine. On both counts, the alcohol must be supplied “in a responsible manner”. 

  • Parents, check out the FAQ to see what the law change might mean for you. 

“It’s a simple rule change, but we needed to get the main point across that there was a law change,” says DraftFCB’s group account director Jane Wardlaw. Easier said than done, of course, because aside from being quite a dry topic, the HPA’s research indicates clearly that people don’t like the government telling them what to do or what not to do, to the point where it tested a voiceover in the earlier ‘Yeah, Nah’ campaign and it was seen as being too preachy. So, like its recent Maritime New Zealand campaign, it’s aiming to move away from a “nanny state government message” and use humour and entertainment to discuss a serious issue.

While the HPA recommends no-one under 18 is given alcohol, there is actually no legal drinking age in New Zealand, just a purchasing age. Even so, there does seem to be a more realistic attitude from some government departments at present that they’re not going to completely stop the bad behaviour they’re trying to address. So instead they’re admitting it happens and then trying to change that bad behaviour. 

There do seem to be a few grey areas with this law changes and it seems doubtful there will be too many prosecutions (unless the shit really hits the fan and it’s found that the proper process wasn’t followed). But, as Wardlaw says, “in general the role of HPA and DraftFCB is to change the drinking culture”​. This obviously takes a long time and while Wardlaw says youth binge drinking is still a massive issue​, a recent Auckland University study showed drinking of all types among teenagers has declined significantly since 2000 (along with smoking, drug taking and sex-having).   ​

HPA’s most recent campaign ‘Yeah, Nah,’ which was about “making it socially acceptable to say no to a drink”, featured a few lines that became part of the pop-cultural lexicon, particularly “no more beersies for you”, which even ended up on a Mr Vintage t-shirt. And it has attempted to add a few gems into this one in the hope it will raise awareness (we’re picking ‘frosty beverino’ could be a popular call this summer).  

Creative team Matt Williams and Freddie Coltart say the idea is to get parents to recognise their own (cringeworthy) behaviour and ask if they might actually be one of those Cool Dads and also to get friends and relatives to start saying that the character reminds them of someone else’s dad (moderately interesting fact: the actor had never done a blowfish before and, one of Wardlaw’s favourite parts of the ad—the groans during the quite impressive dolphin dive—were legitimate). 

As the law applies to everyone who supplies alcohol to a young person irrespective of their age, there are also executions aimed at “cool mothers and cool older brothers”. And, all going to plan, Williams hopes the first execution might also create a belief among some teenagers that it would be “socially poisonous to be seen taking a beer from someone like that”.  

The campaign will feature pre and post law executions and it includes TV commercials, along with radio ads, online advertising, press adverts and information sheets in a number of bottle stores across the country.

Other changes to the liquor laws mean supermarkets and grocery stores will be prohibited from displaying alcohol pricing or promotional material outside of a designated ‘single alcohol area’. That includes foyer posters, in store radio promotions and promotional banners in carparks.

  • Check out the main changes for businesses here

Foodstuffs North Island general counsel Mike Brooker says while the law comes into effect on 18 December, the layout changes won’t surface within most New World, Pak ‘n Save and Four Square stores until each supermarket’s liquor license is up for renewal.

“For those that have just renewed their licences, nothing will change for a further three years in some instances. However, some of our owner/operators, and especially those in new stores, have made the move voluntarily and have already created single alcohol areas.”

Brooker says all alcohol sold within a store needs to be contained in one area, which cannot be located at the entrance nor in the transition area from the retail floor to the checkouts. 

“Stores will need to be able to draw their single alcohol area within their overall floor plan when they are applying for a liquor license, or getting it renewed.”

Another change is the inability to cross promote alcohol with products at the store that would normally be associated with beer and wine, such as food or gift bags. Tastings will be permitted but only within the single alcohol area.

There are also proposed changes to trading hours for the sale of alcohol (8am – 4am for on-licences and clubs such as bars, pubs and nightclubs and 7am – 11pm for off-licences such as bottle stores, supermarkets and grocery stores). Local councils may set different trading hours as part of a local alcohol policy. 

Other new advertising and promotional restrictions include not advertising promotions on TV or in brochures that offer any gift or goods or services on the condition that alcohol is purchased.

Supplying free alcohol is also no longer permitted outside a licensed area from 18 December, so while alcohol can still be provided to media for reviews and sampling—and while branded merchandise can still be supplied as giveaways—alcohol can’t be given away as a prize (it can still be given away as part of a goodie bag because everyone gets the incentive and there is no element of chance involved). 

Another key change is pricing promotion and the fact supermarkets can no longer advertise discounts of more than 25 percent from the ‘usual price’ outside of the single alcohol area.

CLIENT:

HPA – (Health Promotion Agency)

CLIENT CONTACTS:

Clive Nelson, Chief Executive / Wendy Billingsley, Manager Progoramme Marketing and Comms/ Kathy Compton, Senior Account Lead

AGENCY:

DraftFCB

REGIONAL EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR:

James Mok

EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR(S):

Regan Grafton, Tony Clewett

CREATIVE TEAM:

Matt Williams/Freddie Coltart

DESIGNER:

Matt Oak

HEAD OF CONTENT:

Pip Mayne

PRODUCER

Casey King

ACCOUNT TEAM:

Jane Wardlaw, Group Account Director/ Sarah Raine, Account Director

PLANNER:

Carl Sarney

MEDIA TEAM:

Rachel Leyland, Media Manager/Sarah McEwan, Planner & Buyer/Dan Roberts, Media Buyer/ Steph Pearson, Digital Director/ Allanah Tatana, Senior Digital Media Planner & Buyer/ Georgia Boyce, Social Media Campaign Manager/ Charlotte Broadbent, Digital Campaign Manager/ Eamon Hoolihan, Search Director.

PRODUCTION DETAILS

PRODUCTION CO:

Sunday Punch

PRODUCTION CO GM:

Esther Watkins

DIRECTORS:

Jarrod Holt, Ryan Hutchings, Nigel McCulloch

PRODUCER:

Peter Mayo (Casting) Anna Stuart (Pre-Prod & Post)

DOP:

Crighton Bone

OFFLINE COMPANY / EDITOR

Sam Brunette – Sunday Punch

POST PRODUCTION DETAILS

GRADE:

Pete Ritchie @ Blockhead

ONLINE COMPANY:

Stefan Coory @ Blockhead

MUSIC DETAILS

AUDIO PRODUCTION CO:

Jon Cooper @ Coopers on Franklin Road

COMPOSER/ARRANGER:

Peter Van Der Fluit @ Liquid Studios

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