| Title | HUGS NOT DRUGS |
| Brand | AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT |
| Product / Service | DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH |
| Category | A06. Best Use of Special Events And Stunt/Live Advertising |
| Entrant | UNIVERSAL MCCANN Surry Hills, AUSTRALIA |
| Entrant Company: | UNIVERSAL MCCANN Surry Hills, AUSTRALIA |
| Advertising Agency: | UNIVERSAL MCCANN Surry Hills, AUSTRALIA |
| Name | Company | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Helen Black | UM | Sydney Strategy Director |
| Hugo Cutrone | UM | Communications Director |
| Andrea Bohorquez | UM | Snr Account Manager |
| Matt Wheeler | UM | Strategy Director |
| Ensemble Australia | ||
| Reprise | ||
| Bmf Australia |
We reached 315,000 young Australians across the two key summer festivals, with 19% of 15-21 year olds having seen the campaign, and anti-drug messaging running on over 240,000 festival tickets. At the festivals we distributed 45,000 water bottles and 5,000 t-shirts. We successfully changed young people’s attitudes to drug use: • Two thirds of those aware of the campaign said it had influenced their attitudes towards drugs. • Unprompted awareness of “drugs are dangerous” message rising from 29% to 41%.
Giving young people bite-size, helpful and friendly advice throughout their festival going experience. Before the festival: • Radio/digital sponsorships, including competition giveaways, and a presence alongside festival line-ups and announcements • Solus ownership of ticketing on Moshtix (Australia’s biggest festival ticketing site), with messaging on over 240,000 festival tickets – an Australian advertising first • A social media competition to design a T-shirt with the winning designs distributed on the day • Festival reminder EDMs/editorial on how to prepare for the event At the critical ‘point of pop’ at the festivals: • Special areas which were decked out with bean bags, DJs, a mist fan and iPads • Staff gave out anti-drug information and distributed the winning t-shirt designs • Distributed flavoured drinks disguised in clear water bottles were, with the messaging on the bottles letting them know that taking a pill was exactly the same… you never know what’s in it
In 2012 our brief from the Australian Government’s National Drugs Campaign was to prevent 15-21 year-olds from trying the drug ecstasy, by arming and informing young Australians with vital information about its effects and consequences. We knew our teenage audience live for only today, have no concern for long-term consequences and increasingly are switching off to traditional government messages. Our insight: Young people are most likely to try their first pill at moments of ‘music euphoria’ and at one moment in particular, the summer festivals. What if we could use these moments to act as a friendly voice on the harmful effects of ecstasy use rather than broadcast the anti-drug message through traditional channels? Introducing, the strategic idea: Hugs not Drugs.