Labatt is urging post-secondary students to add “responsibility” to the three “Rs” today, part of it corporate commitment to responsible drinking.
The Toronto-based brewer is sending teams armed with iPads to 20 college and university campuses across the country, where they will ask students to “Take the Pledge” not to drink and drive in real time via a dedicated Facebook page. It has also partnered with local police at each location.
The program is being conducted in association with a global responsible drinking program developed by Labatt parent InBev called “Be(er) Responsible Day,” which is now in its second year and conducted in 20 countries around the world. Toronto’s Agency 59, agency of record for Labatt’s responsible drinking campaigns, developed the initiative.
The “Take the Pledge” initiative is an extension of a corporate social responsibility campaign launched in April.
“We wanted to leverage our existing program because it was so enaging,” said Sharon Mackay, director of corporate affairs for Labatt. “Just by having our employees go out and talk about it brings that level of awareness. The more people you can reach, the more it breaks through and reminds them to make the right choice.”
Mackay said that the back-to-school period is a crucial time for raising awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving.
For each pledge that it receives, Labatt is donating $1 to the True Patriot Love Foundation, which supports Canadian military families.
