Award wins for Youth alcohol misuse campaigns in Lancashire
Sat 1st Nov 2008
Awareness campaigns targeted at young people and young drinkers have this month won national awards for creative excellence.
Commissioned by the Lancashire Drug and Alcohol Action Team, the lead agency tasked with commissioning substance misuse services in Lancashire, these awards are an encouraging reflection on the effectiveness of the work being done in the County by LDAAT and its partners to tackle the problems caused by alcohol abuse.
www.lookoutalcohol.co.uk Lancashire Winner of Young People’s Involvement Category Mentor Champ Awards
This website has been designed by young people for young people. From the idea of a website with a games concept, to the design of the characters, to the topics covered, primary school children were involved in all aspects of production.
An interactive site, incorporating age appropriate alcohol education, it offers downloadable lesson plans for teachers, homework based activities and an information section for parents and teachers.
Panels of young children and young people from across Great Britain selected the three winners of the awards. Blue Peter presenter Andy Akinwolere presented a cheque for £10,000 at the ceremony and each winner also received £10,000 worth of mentoring and consultancy support in 2009.
Lancashire Alcohol Campaign Winner
48 sheet poster
Cream Creative Awards
Background
The LDAAT Education and Prevention Group identified in late 2007 the need for a campaign to raise awareness of the consequences of excessive drinking. Consultation and a mapping exercise with partner agencies in the County identified the particular need to encourage 18 – 24 year olds to drink more responsibly. Lancaster, Preston, Blackburn and Preston were identified as priority target areas with high student populations for a series of hard hitting media messages. The second phase of major investment in this campaign took place over the Autumn 2008 based around UCLan and Edgehill colleges.
The campaign used a variety of unusual media in order that this difficult to reach audience had every chance to see the message. Around the UCLan campus there were Taxi's, Radio ads (Rock FM), 48 Sheet posters, Bus sides, Toilet panels and A3 posters around the Union. In addition water bottles were printed up and given to the Union Bar for free distribution (1,500 bottles).
At Edge Hill media opportunities were limited. Bus sides were purchased, A3 posters in the Union and 500 water bottles distributed. Post campaign research about awareness of the message has shown strong recall.