Syracuse University's "The Stupid Drink" Campaign Book

The NewHouse

SYRACUSE UNIVERSITYTHE NEWHOUSE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Executive Summary Research & Strategic PlanningCreative BriefCreative Media PlanCampaign Evaluation

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Executive Summary // 2

“The biggest regret of my decade as President of this university is having to call nine sets of parents to inform them that their son or daughter had died as a result of alcohol abuse. No parent should ever have to get a call like that. Those calls haunt me everyday of my life.

- Daniel Sullivan, President, St. Lawrence University

Jimmy —

I’m really proud of you for heading o! to college next year. Since I’m about to graduate, I "gured it might be helpful to share some things I’ve learned.

Partying and drinking are a big part of college. I remember when Mom and Dad dropped me o! — within a few hours, I was having a beer with my new roommate. I met my best friends at parties that "rst week of school.

My "nal project in college is for a group called The Century Council. I was told to "gure out a way to stop binge drinking in college. At "rst, I laughed. I didn’t think drinking in college was a problem. There’s always some new organization that says “don’t do this!” or “don’t do that!” and they’re usually talking about things that aren’t a big deal.

But then I thought about what I’ve learned about drinking in college. Mostly, I thought about what I learned from my mistakes (and there were a quite few of them). I was really stupid sometimes. Do you remember that girl, Sherri, who I dated for a little bit in high school? The one Mom always used to call ‘the daughter I never had’? Yeah . . . I got really drunk one time and said some really mean stu!. She still hasn’t gotten over it. Still really regret that. Sometimes, the consequences stick with you for a while.

After way too many times of messing up, I realized that being that person just wasn’t fun. I was acting really stupid for no real reason.

So thinking about this project . . . and what message I would’ve wanted to know in hindsight (since “don’t drink!” was not going to cut it) I realized there was a pattern. All the times when I acted really stupid, I drank too much. There were nights when my drinking took me from a good night to an embarrassing one, a night I wanted to remember to one I desperately wanted to forget. And I realized it only took one drink to get me from A to B.

In my project, I’ve termed this The Stupid Drink.

Seriously, if there’s one thing that you get from this letter, it’s to avoid The Stupid Drink. Know your limit, and stay away from that one drink that takes you from drinking to drinking too much. You’ll know you’re there when you feel it.

I know that when I start to feel light-headed and stop hearing in my left ear, I’m usually about to pour my Stupid Drink. I just hang out for a while and see how the rest of the night goes. I know having that extra drink always puts me over the edge. Not worth it.

Your friends will drink from funnels, pass out, throw up, etc. It’s gross, I’m not gonna lie. I guarantee you’ll have way more fun in college if you avoid your Stupid Drink.

One last thing . . . if you need more money, tell mom and dad you found a place to sell blood plasma. They always send more money.

Have an awesome ride – you’ll love it.

Your favorite brother

RESEARCH AND PLANNINGRESEARCH AND PLANNING

RESEARCH AND PLANNING

RESEARCH AND PLANNINGRESEARCH AND PLANNINGRESEARCH AND PLANNINGRESEARCH AND PLANNINGRESEARCH AND PLANNINGRESEARCH AND PLANNINGRESEARCH AND PLANNINGRESEARCH AND PLANNINGRESEARCH AND PLANNINGRESEARCH AND PLANNINGRESEARCH AND PLANNINGRESEARCH AND PLANNING

2 \\

There are two stories being told;

the one authorities are telling,

and the hidden one of college

students. This is the latter.

WE BEGAN WITH OUR OWN STORIES,BUT FOUND AN EVEN GREATER ONE

OUR PRIMARY RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES

15 ethnogrophies:observational, video & photo

75 expertinterviews *

15 journals documenting

sober and drunk weekends

1556 in-depth surveys reaching

all 50 states

INITIAL STEPSLooking around, we saw binge drinking everywhere at Syracuse University. We observed people drinking heavily in bars, in the dorms and at theme parties. We even saw it in ourselves. We were de"nitely not immune to the problem. Syracuse has been portrayed as a party school many times before, but in 2005, former Syracuse student Koren Zalickas wrote The New York Times Bestseller, “Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood”, rekindling the discussion about college drinking.

We sat back and thought for a moment: if Syracuse students are binge drinking just as much as every other party school in America, we might actually have a chance to understand the problem and "gure out a way to solve it.

Trying to wrap our minds around the problem of binge drinking felt like we were tackling an overwhelmingly huge social problem, like the American "nancial crisis. We looked around the world for other people’s solutions. Anything. Commercials, magazines, PSAs, books, public policy. Some things worked – some things failed miserably.

WE DID FIGURE OUT A FEW THINGS THAT WON’T WORK

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES1.) Determine why a huge problem such as binge drinking hasn’t been solved yet on college campuses2.) Understand the motivations causing potentially life-threatening behaviors by di!erent college students3.) Find a de"nition of “dangerous over-consumption of alcohol” that everyone can agree upon4.) Uncover a way to talk to college students about a topic that they are currently shutting out

AUTHORITARIAN

NOT TALKING TO UNDERAGE STUDENTS

POKING FUN AT THE CONSEQUENCES

Deprivation Study to expose the social pressures to drink on the weekends

* Dr. Kate Carey, Psychologist & binge drinking expert; Dr. Jackie Orr, Sociologist; Emergency Medical Technicians; Director of Syracuse University Health Services; Director of Public Safety; Nancy Cantor, Syracuse University Chancellor & President; Director of Judicial A!airs; Director of Residence Life; University Counseling Center

They e!ectively end the conversation before it begins.(e.g. MADD, Above the In#uence)

We cannot solve problematic drinking without talking to everyone it a!ects.

Humor dilutes the seriousness of an issue that is already not taken seriously.

Research and Planning // 4

““ I hate when people say my

drinking gets out of hand when

I throw up or say something

I regret. But binge drinking isn’t

the problem. In fact, it’s hilarious.

- Male, 18

STUDENTS DON’T BELIEVE THAT BINGE DRINKING IS A PROBLEM

THE OFFICIAL DEFINITION OF BINGE DRINKING Drinking alcohol that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to .08 or above, which corresponds to having "ve or more drinks (male) or 4 or more drinks (female) in about two hours.

COLLEGE STUDENTS AGREE THAT BINEG DRINKING IS NOT A PROBLEMWithin our agency, we have presidents of several organizations, a commencement speaker, Dean’s List scholars, and community volunteers. But according to this o$cial de"nition we are all binge drinkers too. We started using the term binge drinking in our research, but we were quickly met with resistence. 92% of college students have rejected the term. It serves as the o$cial de"nition across most "elds of research and policy. But not in the eyes of students.

SO WE STARTING ASKING ABOUT “DRINKING TOO MUCH”After college students rejected the problem of “binge drinking,” we switched modes. We wanted to know what they had to say — we asked students what they saw as “problematic drinking.” All of a sudden, there was a shift in the conversation — they immediately started spewing answers, such as:

WE WERE ALMOST THERE. BUT WE COULDN’T QUITE PUT OUR FINGER THE PROBLEM.

WHEN WE HEARD THESE RESPONSES, WE FELT STUCK FOR TWO REASONS:1) Students could agree that binge drinking isn’t the problem, but they couldn’t agree on what the problem is. Almost everyone gave a di!erent answer. Why weren’t we hearing one universal de"nition of “dangerous over-consumption of alcohol”?

2) We asked students to tell us their de"nition of binge drinking, but they were only able to describe consequences that happen after drinking too much. They couldn’t de"ne what was leading to these consequences.

“lose track of how much I drink”

“get in a !ght”

“throw up”

“unwanted hookups”“DUI”

“argue with my girlfriend”

“not having a good time”

“blackout”

“send drunk texts”

“alcohol poisoning”

“acting like an idiot”

“crying”

“stomach pumped at the hospital”

“falling down stairs”

“crazy text messages to

ex-boyfriends”

“argue withmy girlfriend”

“death”

5 \\ Research and Planning

““ There are definitely nights when I’ve had too much to drink.

My friends have to tell me what I

did because I don’t remember.

- Female, 20

THE PROBLEM IS DRINKING TOO MUCH

HAPPY FACE

NO DRAMA

IN CONTROL

FUN

CONFIDENT

DRINKING

SAD FACE

DRAMA

OUT OF CONTROL

SLOPPY

TOO CONFIDENT

DRINKING TOO MUCH

Every student mentioned consequences that happened when they “drank too much.” There was a hidden line between “drinking” and “drinking too much.” Between being in control and out of control. Between a fun night and a horrible, regrettable night. In fact, no matter how the two sides of the line are de"ned, the problem is crossing the line.

Once that line is crossed, anything can happen. Any of the dangerous consequences can occur. And that’s when things quickly go wrong for so many college students.

DANGEROUS OVER!CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL=CROSSING THE LINE BETWEEN “DRINKING” AND “DRINKING TOO MUCH”

THE PROBLEM IS CROSSING THE LINE BETWEEN:

Research and Planning // 6

“ “ Drinking in college is fun…

we wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t.

- Male, 19

EXPERIENCING NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES ARE STILL NOT

A DETERRENT TO DRINKING.

WE WANTED TO FIND OUT WHY:As we spoke to more and more students, it became clear that people drink for di!erent reasons. Some people drink to "t in, while others drink to meet new people and still others drink just to have fun. Whatever the reason, college students continue to drink. And “drink too much.” There are cultural, social and personal insights into why college students continue to “drink too much.”

CULTURALLY, DRINKING IS FUN AND SIMPLY PART OF COLLEGE.PEER PRESSURE AND THINKING

OTHER PEOPLE DRINK MORE THAN THEY ACTUALLY DO

ENCOURAGE DRINKING.

“The "rst time I went over my limit, it was because of somebody else. I felt like I had to keep drinking. Other people always in#uence me to drink more.”

- Male, 18

“…I made a drink and then my friends kept pouring more alcohol into my drink and I didn’t want it! But I "nished it and made another.”

- Female, 20

85% of binge drinkers think that most or all of their friends binge drink.

- Primary survey

“I think the reason everyone puts up pictures on Facebook is because everyone else does. They want to know they party the hardest and/or craziest.”

- Female, 18

63% agree that heavy drinking is expected of college students

- Primary survey

64% of students agree that college is a time to behave in a way unacceptable outside of college.

- Primary survey

“College equals drinking and drinking equals college. This is what you do for four years, then you grow up.”

- Male, 18

“Look we know that in college we probably drink too much. But that’s the thing, its college...in comparison to other college students we are normal drinkers.”

- Female, 20

“Last Saturday, I woke up with a hangover and threw up all day. I started feeling better around dinner, so I went to my friend’s party that night.”

- Female, 19

“The next week comes along and you wake up feeling "ne…the memory of sick…it’s just in the past. I don’t really feel the pain I was feeling then, in which case I just start drinking again.”

- Male, 20

69% of students agree that knowing the negative e!ects of binge drinking doesn’t a!ect whether they choose to binge drink.

- Primary survey

PEOPLE DRINK TOO MUCH — IT’S COLLEGE

CULTURALSOCIAL

PERSONAL

PERSONAL, SOCIAL & CULTURAL MISPERCEPTIONS CAUSE PEOPLE TO “DRINK TOO MUCH”

7 \\ Research and Planning

““ Now that I’m a senior,

I’ve realized I can drink

without ending the night

with my head in the toilet.

- Female, 22

I DRINK, YOU DRINK, WE ALL DRINKWE NOTICED DIFFERENCES IN ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOR BETWEEN UNDERCLASSMEN AND UPPERCLASSMEN

“The initial transition to a residential college represents the period of greatest risk for heavy drinking, with 80% of

all students using alcohol, and 44% participating in binge

drinking.” (SESSA, 2005)

“I have felt the need to reevaluate my

drinking behavior.”Freshmen: 31% agree

Seniors: 61% agree(primary survey)

“When I "rst started drinking, we would meet up in my dorm

and chug a bunch of alcohol. But now, it’s going to a bar, and being more responsible about it. I’m still

drinking at that bar, but I’m not going past my limit.”

- Male, 20

“I know my drinking limit.”

Freshmen: 54% agreeSeniors: 93% agree

(primary survey)

“Younger students are a sub-group of people who are

more prone to binge drinking.”Harvard University study,

(Weitzman et al., 2003)“I have experienced negative consequences

due to drinking too much.”

Freshmen: 63% agreeSeniors: 87% agree

(primary survey)

THE CHALLENGE:Make them learn faster.

DEMOGRAPHIC DIFFERENCESThere are di!erent experience levels when it comes to drinking in college. We need to speak to males and females who are 17 – 22 years-old enrolled full-time in 2- or 4-year colleges. Although white students tend to experience more negative consequences, race and ethnicity generally have little a!ect on attitudes and behavior with regard to drinking. Gender is not a di!erentiator of awareness. Age is the most important di!erence between targets — generally, younger students do no understand what “too much” means compared to older students.

THE BAD NEWS:Students of every age pass their limit.

THE GOOD NEWSThey learn through experience.

FRESHMEN / SOPHOMORESThe excitement and anticipation of college makes young students eager to dive into the college party scene. Alcohol acts as a perfect social lubricant to ease the process of making new friends in this new environment. The newfound freedom of college makes heavy drinking acceptable.

DRINKING ATTITUDE: The Naive Drinker drinks to get drunk as fast as possible.

SOPHOMORES / JUNIORSThrough trial and error, students have experienced negative consequences of drinking but are still testing their limits. They have an established routine and set of friends, and therefore feel less pressure to prove themselves with alcohol. These students are slowly learning how to pace themselves, but still don’t want to miss out on the “college experience.”

DRINKING ATTITUDE: The Regular Drinker drinks a lot to have a great time with close friends.

JUNIORS / SENIORSThey know what works for them and they stick to it. This experienced drinker has learned over time how to avoid morning headaches and frequent blackouts. Unlimited freedom in o!-campus housing allows them to drink leisurely and casually with a close group of friends. Although they still slip up on occasion, they know they can drink and have fun without going overboard.

DRINKING ATTITUDE: The Experienced Drinker values his/her time with friends and drinks to enjoy it more.

NAIVE DRINKERS REGULAR DRINKERS EXPERIENCED DRINKERS

Research and Planning // 8

“ “ When I see a poster telling

me that I shouldn’t be

drinking in college, I just laugh.

Obviously, anyone “normal”

is going to drink in college.

- Male, 18

RIGHT NOW, THERE’S AN ISSUE WITH MESSAGING

“DRINKING”

CURRENT MESSAGES TALK TO ONE EXTREME OR THE OTHERStudents hear two messages. “Drink!” and “Don’t drink!” They sort out messages about alcohol using these two extremes — messages either support the idea of drinking in college, or try to persuade against it. College is placed on a pedestal long before freshman year — drinking is seen as right of passage, and a very acceptable part of college. Pop culture, such as Animal House, Old School and MTV Spring Break paint a very vivid picture of the college environment and fuel the stereotype. Why wouldn’t people be excited for college?

Right now, college freshmen are only able to make this mental distinction:

“NOT DRINKING”

TO BE EFFECTIVE, MESSAGES MUST RECOGNIZE REALITYWe need to get students thinking about “drinking” and “drinking too much.” And faster. They learn through trial and error, so it takes two to three years to develop an understanding of what it actually means to “drink too much.” What it feels like, looks like, smells like and sounds like. We cannot stand on the sidelines and simply accept that it takes years to understand this distinction. We realized that communicating this distinction would get students to progress to Experienced Drinkers in a quicker and safer way.

We need to help students make this further distinction.

“DRINKING” “DRINKINGTOO MUCH”

9 \\ Research and Planning

“ “ There’s always that one

drink — that one shot that I wish

I didn’t have. It always makes

things go downhill. Always.

- Male, 21

OUR STRATEGY SPRINGS FROM A SIMPLE TRUTH

The Stupid Drink is grounded in actual experience. Everyone gets it — it’s universal.

STRATEGYThe Stupid Drink

ABOUT OTHERS:“She looks so stupid!”

TO YOURSELF:(THAT NIGHT)

“Do I look that stupid?”

TO YOURSELF: (THE NEXT DAY)

“Well, that was stupid.”

TO A YOUNGER SIBLING:

“Don’t be stupid.”

TO A FRIEND:“You’re acting stupid.”

SIMPLE TRUTH:Every college student becomes aware of what it means to “drink too much.”

THE STUPID DRINK DEFINED:The stupid drink is the one drink between “drinking” and “drinking too much,” in control and out of control, good times and regrets, great memories and no memories. For some it’s a feeling, for some it’s a number, for some it’s a type of alcohol.

WE TESTED THE IDEA WITH COLLEGE STUDENTSBefore we moved forward, we wanted to see how this resonated with college students. If the idea didn’t click immediately, it would never work.

But it did click. And beautifully.

“The Stupid Drink. It’s so di!erent! It’s a message about drinking that I can

actually use.” - Female, 19

OBJECTIVE:Have students talk about the line between “drinking” and “drinking too much” in a way that is meaningful to them.

STRATEGY:Identify and stigmatize the one drink that separates enjoyable drinking and the negative consequences that occur from “drinking too much.” This is The Stupid Drink.

“It takes the blame o! me or my friends. It’s that one drink’s fault.

That’s so true!” -Female, 21

“I’ve never thought about a speci"c drink like that. But it

totally makes sense!” - Male, 18

Research and Planning // 10

““ Looking back, when I

was a freshman, I wish I

would’ve known how to drink.

- Male, 22

THE STUPID DRINK WILL MAKE MEANINGFUL CHANGES

LOOKING FORWARD, WE WILL MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCEWe’re not forcing a new message upon college students — we’re giving them a way to talk about a message they hear everyday. In themselves, in their friends, and in pop culture. That’s more than any other piece of communication has done so far. By speeding up the time it takes for students to learn what “too much” means, students have a way to experience drinking in a safe way. The occurrence of every negative consequence will decrease.

TALKING TO UNDERAGE DRINKERS IS CRITICALBefore we even started our research, we noticed that there was a huge segment of people being overlooked: those college students who are 18- to 20-years-old. Once they’ve decided that they are going to drink in college, any message that alludes to “not drinking” will not resonate with them. They’ve been told that such behavior is “illegal,” so they shut out those messages. They stop listening.

But we need to talk to these people. In doing so, we are not condoning or vilifying underage drinking. It is a fact of life that college students who are underage participate in drinking behaviors. We are communicating to the behavior of drinking, rather than a group of people who are drinking. There is a very clear distinction between these two ideas — the former is a necessary step. We need to focus on solving the problem in a real way. Not just in a politically correct way.

OUR POSITIONINGThe Stupid Drink is something very small that will make a huge di!erence. We need to develop a communication campaign that brings this idea to college students across the country. Looking forward, this three-year campaign will get people talking about what it truly means to pass the line from “drinking” to “drinking too much” in order to reduce premature deaths, hospital visits and a long list of other unnecessary consequences that occur on college campuses.

We will be including a long-term tracking study for the campaign in order to standardize metrics and measure the following objectives:

REDUCE DANGEROUS BEHAVIORReduce the percentage of students who report having experienced negative consequences by 20% in year one; measured nationally, campus-wide, and individually.

INCREASE AWARENESS OF “DRINKING TOO MUCH” Increase the percentage of students who are able to recognize their line to 25% in year one, 50% in year two, and 75% in year three.

GET STUDENTS TALKING ABOUT THE STUPID DRINKIntroduce The Stupid Drink as the way for peers to discuss problematic drinking and what their line is, and have 40% awareness of The Stupid Drink among all college students in year one.

COMMUNICATION OBJECTIVES

11 \\ Research and Planning

CREATIVE BRIEF

WHAT DO WE WANT THE COMMUNICATION TO DO? Create broad awareness and understanding of The Stupid Drink among college students. Help them recognize and avoid it in order to reduce the long list of negative consequences of drinking too much.

WHO IS OUR AUDIENCE?NAIVE DRINKERSThe Naive Drinker drinks to get drunk as fast as possible.

REGULAR DRINKERSThe Regular Drinker drinks a lot to have a great time with close friends.

EXPERIENCED DRINKERSThe Experienced Drinker values his/her time with friends and drinks to enjoy it more.

WHAT DO THEY CURRENTLY THINK?“There’s drinking and not drinking. College equals drinking and drinking equals college. This is what you do for four years, and then you grow up.”

WHAT WOULD WE LIKE THEM TO THINK?“Drinking is part of college. Everyone has his/her own limit. It’s "nding that limit before you blackout or get sick that’s important.”

WHAT IS THE BIG IDEA?The Stupid Drink is the one drink that takes you from “drinking” to “drinking too much.”

HOW DO WE MAKE IT BELIEVABLE?The Stupid Drink allows students to identify and avoid that point where things take a turn for the worse.

WHAT TONE SHOULD BE USED?There should be an informal and conversational tone — not authoritarian or confrontational.

WHY ARE WE COMMUNICATING?Students will admit that drinking in college can be a problem, but cannot agree on what that problem is. When asked what “drinking too much” means, students listed a laundry list of negative consequences. But the problem is the passing of that line, that point, or that drink where “drinking” becomes “drinking too much.” It’s The Stupid Drink. Students either don’t know it exists or simply don’t have a way to identify it. This must change. Students need to know about this thing called The Stupid Drink: the single drink that accelerates consumption, that puts them over the line, that takes them from drinking to drinking too much.

Research and Planning // 12

CREATIVECREATIVE

CREATIVE

CREATIVECREATIVECREATIVECREATIVECREATIVECREATIVECREATIVECREATIVECREATIVECREATIVECREATIVECREATIVE13 \\

OVERVIEWWe designed the concept of The Stupid Drink to be an informal way of talking about a very serious issue. It is purposefully designed to ease discussion between students and their peers, parents, and others around them who would normally shy away from such awkward confrontations about drinking culture.

To propel the concept of The Stupid Drink into mainstream culture, we needed a unique voice. This voice would have to de"ne and educate about The Stupid Drink, without falling prey to the creative land mines we laid down in our strategy. This voice had to be informal enough to connect with college students, yet carry enough weight to have some authority in talking to them about The Stupid Drink.

We present The Drinking Institute.

It is a faux scienti"c research center, populated by college seniors and recent grads. As experienced drinkers, who seem to have been born knowing their drinking limit, they have taken it upon themselves to research why people act so stupid when they drink. They are especially mysti"ed and intrigued by freshmen behavior. After devoting years of research to the subject, they have "nally identi"ed The Stupid Drink as the cause of gross over-consumption of alcohol on college campuses.

The Drinking Institute is the voice of our campaign. It avoids the problems inherent in authoritative voices by placing the expertise in the hands of peers. The concept of a scienti"c institute devoted solely to the study and experimentation of alcohol on other people is ludicrous enough to get students’ attention, yet done with a straight face so as to preserve the seriousness of dangerous drinking behavior.

College students de"ne their drinking experience socially. So, the Institute must speak to them in the same way, describing the symptoms of approaching their limits in social terms, rather than the qualitative, numerical de"nitions that have consistently failed to have an impact in the past. These symptoms of The Stupid Drink, or “Symptoms of Stupid” for short, are our way of phrasing the social indicators of a bad night in the same informal, but serious way.

Creative // 14

NON-TRADITIONALWEB SITEVisitors will be invited to interactively explore the halls of The Institute. TV spots and viral videos will be showcased. Visitors will be able to perform experiments on test subjects to learn about the e!ects of The Stupid Drink. “Symptoms of Stupid” party games can be downloaded in print-form for free. The Web site will also serve as the central hub for the upcoming online promotional event.

ONLINE PIX MESSAGING APPLICATIONOn the Web site, students can request to have picture message “Symptoms of Stupid” sent to their cell phones. If a friend has been displaying symptoms, students can Pix Message their friend with the corresponding photo.

TWITTERStudents can follow updates from The Drinking Institute’s sta!. The Twitter pro"le will continually update company news and faux experimental breakthroughs to engage the online college community.

15 \\ Creative

NON-TRADITIONALFACEBOOK APPLICATIONAdding the “Symptoms of Stupid” Application on Facebook will give users the option to tag their friends in photos as having the various symptoms. It is a more entertaining way of pointing out a friend’s Stupid Drink. Select symptoms like “Handsy Friend” will be available to discourage glorifying being past their limit.

VIRAL VIDEOEducation of The Stupid Drink and The Drinking Institute will get an entertaining promotion by none other than Bill Nye the Science Guy. Bill Nye serves as the perfect addition to the voice of The Drinking Institute. The current college demographic grew up on his brand of teaching science in weird and fascinating ways, allowing us to educate students on the e!ects and chemistry of alcohol without feeling forced or preachy. A few months after the viral video launches, an online contest will be held and the winner will be featured as Bill Nye’s assistant in the next viral video.

Creative // 16

NON-TRADITIONALBAR STAMPSMonotone versions of The Stupid Drink and The Drinking Institute logo will be turned into bar stamps to keep students constantly aware of their limits throughout the night and the next morning.

THE DRINKING INSTIT

UTE

DRINKINGIN

STIT

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THE DRINKING INSTIT

UTE

DRINKINGIN

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THE DRINKING INSTIT

UTE

DRINKINGIN

STIT

UTE.COMTHE QUICKEST WAY

FROM COOL TO FOOL

STU IDP

DRINK

THE

STU IDP

DRINK

THE

THE DRINK BETWEENDRINKING AND

DRINKING TOO MUCH

STU IDP

DRINK

THE

STU IDP

DRINK

THE

COASTERSBar coasters with 50 di!erent colorful Stupid Drink de"nitions ensures that students will "nd a de"nition that resonates with them. Also, students can collect and save their favorite coasters.

THE LINE BETWEEN"I'M GOOD, I'M GOOD"

AND "MY BAD"

STU IDP

DRINK

THE

STU IDP

DRINK

THE

BAR/CAMPUS AMBIENTObjects around campus and in bars will call out ambient “Symptoms of Stupid.” Bar and dorm mirrors will be blurred to simulate blurred vision. Bar tabs with The Stupid Drink ordered will be left on tables. Sidewalk clings will call attention to normal objects in the environment that become hazards when a person has had too much to drink, such as low-hanging branches, curbs, and staircases.

17 \\ Creative

NON-TRADITIONAL

BATHROOM STICKERSSmall banners identifying The Symptoms of Stupid will be stuck to bathroom stall doors to give students something informative and humorous to read.

DECKS OF CARDSDrinking Institute Poker Cards will be distributed to Resident Assistants to place in student lounges. The cards will also be distributed to bar owners to place on tables. The cards serve as an activity to bring students together.

JO

K

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JO

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DRINKING INSTITUTE.COM

BEWARE OF THESTUPIDDRINK

PHANTOM CONFIDENCEREGRETTABLE TEXTINGLOSS OF POSSESSIONS

DISTORTED PERCEPTION OF HOTNESSINAPPROPRIATE EMOTIONAL RESPONSES

SLURRED SPEECHTERRIBLE, TERRIBLE IDEAS

EXCESSIVE URINATIONVERBALLY ABUSING A STRANGERNODDING OFF WHILE STANDINGDRINK MISSING YOUR MOUTH

DANCING LIKE "PRO"DULLED THOUGHT PROCESSPERSONAL SPACE INVASION

STUSYMPTOMS OF P IDSTUSYMPTOMS OF P ID

DRINKING INSTITUTE . COMTHIS HAS BEEN ANOFFICIAL MESSAGE FROM THE

IF YOU OR YOUR FRIENDS EXHIBITS MULTIPLE SYMPTOMS,YOU ARE DANGEROUSLY APPROACHING YOUR STUPID DRINK.

PHANTOM CONFIDENCEREGRETTABLE TEXTINGLOSS OF POSSESSIONS

DISTORTED PERCEPTION OF HOTNESSINAPPROPRIATE EMOTIONAL RESPONSES

SLURRED SPEECHTERRIBLE, TERRIBLE IDEAS

EXCESSIVE URINATIONVERBALLY ABUSING A STRANGERNODDING OFF WHILE STANDINGDRINK MISSING YOUR MOUTH

DANCING LIKE "PRO"DULLED THOUGHT PROCESSPERSONAL SPACE INVASION

STUSYMPTOMS OF P IDSTUSYMPTOMS OF P ID

DRINKING INSTITUTE . COMTHIS HAS BEEN ANOFFICIAL MESSAGE FROM THE

IF YOU OR YOUR FRIENDS EXHIBITS MULTIPLE SYMPTOMS,YOU ARE DANGEROUSLY APPROACHING YOUR STUPID DRINK.

POSTERSThe Drinking Institute will o!er $3 promotional posters at early semester poster sales. Modestly-priced to appear as a great deal, Freshmen eager to pimp out their new dorm rooms will be more likely to have a favorable opinion of The Institute than they would if the poster was free and “forced”. The pro"ts of the poster sale will go towards each university for funding various initiatives, such as judicial a!airs or substance abuse counseling programs.

KIOSK INSERT/ CARDBOARD STANDUPSLocated in student centers in colleges across the country, the kiosk inserts will mimic the coasters and billboards to reinforce the de"nition of The Stupid Drink and drive tra$c to the Web site. Cardboard cut-outs of Institute scientists will urge students to identify their Stupid Drink.

Creative Executions // 18

DIRECT

PROMOTIONS

POSTCARDSA month before students go to college, they will receive an urgent postcard from the Institute warning of their new discovery of The Stupid Drink. The postcards will serve as an introduction to The Stupid Drink and a teaser for The Drinking Institute.

EVENT MARKETING ON QUADSTwo Institute scientists will run a booth on quads, challenging students to sink a shot on a Beer Pong table with 10 cups. Participants can take 30-seconds out of their walk to classes in a shoot-’til-you-miss challenge. Nine of the cups will correspond to di!erent promotional prizes, such as t-shirts, party games, personalize-able Solo cups, and more. But hit The Stupid Drink in the middle and it’s game over. A banner, similar to the stadium billboards, will accompany the booth to warn those who don’t have the time to participate in The Stupid Drink challenge.

Dear Student,

We write to inform you of a groundbreaking discovery. For years, our mission at The Drinking Institute has been to pinpoint the reason that college students suffer from periods of uncontrolled alcohol consumption. After extensive testing and research, we are issuing the following warning:

There is a drink that exists between drinking and drinking too much. It is called THE STUPID DRINK.

This single drink is the last one that can be refused—the one that leads to the ones that you later regret. IT SHOULD BE AVOIDED AT ALL COSTS.

In replication trials, identification of this drink and the decision not to consume it have positively influenced the lives of study participants, their social lives and grade point averages.

For questions or concerns pertaining to THE STUPID

DRINK, please visit us online at DrinkingInstitute.com.

The Drinking Institute

123 Hop Avenue, 5th Floor

Death Valley, CA 92328

THEDRINKINGINSTITUTE

.COM

PARTY ACTIVITIESBINGO games will be given out to participants in the events on campus quads, which friends can play at parties or in bars to spot the Symptoms of Stupid. This serves to further identify The Stupid Drink, as well as call out party-goers who don’t know their limit.

STU

SYMPTOMS OF

P ID

BAD

IDEADRUNK

TEXTS

NODDING

OFF

BAREFOOT

IN PUBLIC

EMO

DRUNK

DRUNK

SQUEALS

OVER-

FRIENDLINESSLOST

KEY

ARTICLE

OF CLOTHIN

G

PHANTOM

CONFIDENCE

S***

EATING

GRINSAUCED

SQUINTING

EXCESSIVE

URINATION

BEER

GOGGLES

DANCING

ALONE

UNCONTROLL-

ABLE

GIGGLING

VERBAL

ABUSE OF A

STRANGER

INAPPRPRIATE

EMOTIONAL

RESPONSE

GLASSY

EYES

"HANDSY"

FRIEND

LOSS OF

BEVERAGE

CONTROL

DRUNK

KLEPTO

CHRONICALL

Y

OFF-BALANCE

REALLY

BAD IDEA

SLURRED

SPEECH

DRINKING INSTITUTE . COM

STUPID DRU

NK OF THE NIGHT:

AN OFFICIAL EX

PERIMENT OF

THE DRINKING INSTITU

TE

STU

SYMPTOMS OF

P ID

PARTY SCAV

ENGER HUNT

19 \\ Creative

TRADITIONALBILLBOARDThe Drinking Institute understands that students ignore textbook or technical de"nitions when it comes to PSAs. Billboards in college stadiums will feature colorful, engaging de"nitions of The Stupid Drink. Twice during the season, students will be challenged to text their own Stupid Drink de"nitions. The best will become the next billboard in the series, and those who participate will receive a one-time follow-up text message from The Institute, thanking them for playing and encouraging them to visit the Web site.

STU IDP DRINKTHE

STU IDP DRINKTHE

THE PASSPORT TO IDIOCYDRINKING INSTITUTE . COM

CAMPUS NEWSPAPERSThe Institute will continue to publish its "ndings in half-page adverts in college newspapers, de"ning The Stupid Drink and urging students to avoid it in mock-press-release fashion.

Creative // 20

TRADITIONAL

(Double doors open. Our Head Scientist begins walking down a long hallway.)

“Welcome to the Drinking Institute”

(A lab technician with a hand truck of various alcoholic beverages passes in front of the camera.)

“Here, our Senior sta! has been experimenting for years on the cause of...”

“...Extreme inebriation.”

(Through a one-way window, a quick cut of a visibly drunk girl attempting to # irt with a lab technician, who is trying to take notes.)

(Various shots of one ‘tipsy’ test subject hitting a ‘beer dispenser’ button.)

“Meticulous research...”

“We call it...”

(One visibly ‘wobbly’ test subject hits the button for another beer, and ‘The Stupid Drink’ light # ashes.)

“It’s the drink between drinking...”

(Another window shows test subjects giving cheers and enjoying themselves.)

“...And drinking too much.”

(The Head Scientist passes another window with a test subject throwing up in a toilet.)

“...Stupid...”

(Close-up of the Head Scientist.)

“Help us end this Epidemic of Stupidity. Avoid your Stupid Drink.”

(Final shot of The Drinking Institute logo.)

“...Has identi" ed the problem.”

(Fist slams button. It # ashes green and dispenses a drink in his cup.)

SFX: Ding!SFX: Cup Filling.

“...The Stupid Drink.”

SFX: Hand presses button.

(Box buzzes and # ashes “Stupid”.)

CABLEOur lead scientist brings viewers on an introductory tour of The Institute and talks about their discovery of The Stupid Drink.

21 \\ Creative

PR & PUBLICITY“COLLEGE DRINKING SOLUTIONS” WEB SITECollege administrators and parents are one-step removed from students, and provide an essential support structure. Currently, there is no way for college administrators and parents to come together and share information on promoting responsible drinking. In order to encourage dialogue on responsible drinking, www.collegedrinkingsolutions.com will be established. The site will have two portions, one for college administrators and one for parents.

“The Stupid Drink” messaging will be built into the site to promote discussion about the campaign and encourage universities and parents to share their personal campaign results. This will also help the Century Council in its research e!orts.

Administrators and parents will be encouraged to participate in the Web site via an electronic press release.

For college administrators:Administrators can create a searchable pro"le for their university that discusses their individual problem, current solutions and research. Graph-building capabilities will allow quanti"able information to be displayed easily. This will also allow for trends to be tracked from school to school.

University administrators can search how other schools are approaching the problem, as well as communicate with each other via a message board and blog. Also, a monthly e-mail will be sent to all participants with updates on how other schools are approaching the problem.

For parents:This section of the Web site will have information on what to expect while your child is in college. There will also be information on how to be helpful to your children and talk to them before/when problems arise. Parents can also click to the administrators’ portion of the Web site to see how individual colleges are tackling the problem.

PRESS RELEASESA campaign kick-o! press release will be sent to PR Newswire, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Center for Disease Control, The O$ce of the First Lady, and congressional leaders who are involved in the issue of alcohol abuse.

Also, a customizable press release will be created for each participating school. These press releases will be sent to local publications to create community buzz about and support for the campaign.

URBAN DICTIONARY & WIKIPEDIA ENTRIESIn order to promote usage of “The Stupid Drink” in everyday language, an entry in urbandictionary.com will be created. This is a Web site of “underground” language and is entirely user-generated. A Wikipedia article will be created for the same purpose.

Creative // 22

MEDIA PLANMEDIA PLAN

MEDIA PLAN

MEDIA PLANMEDIA PLANMEDIA PLANMEDIA PLANMEDIA PLANMEDIA PLANMEDIA PLANMEDIA PLANMEDIA PLANMEDIA PLANMEDIA PLANMEDIA PLAN23 \\

College students love their cell phones. And their laptops. And socializing, both online and o!. So any campaign that will resonate with them will be integrated across all of these elements.

We developed a $10 million media plan that heavily emphasizes e-Branding and non-traditional elements that reach students when they are with their friends: bars, dorms, the student center and on the quad.

The campaign has a total of 16 nontraditional placements.

The Stupid Drink campaign will be spread across 967 campuses, which comprise 7.5 million of the 10.2 million U.S. col-lege students. The campaign will achieve a maximum reach of 70% and a frequency of three on the target campuses.

The campaign will be strengthened through local partnerships with university and community members. These partnerships help strengthen the environment that students call home for four years.

OVERVIEW

Media Plan // 24

MEDIA STRATEGYNON!TRADITIONAL

DORM BATHROOM STICKERSUnique blend of reach and frequency to deliver an isolated message Allows for a moment of re#ection

POSTER FOR SALEPurchasing posters allows students to “own the message” and hang it on their walls year round

CARDBOARD STAND-UPLocated in high-tra$c student centerOut-of the ordinary; will grab attention

KIOSK INSERTInformation-seeking mediumNot typical “advertising” medium; typically used for campus events

SIDEWALK CLINGCollege campuses have high foot tra$cCommunicates to students while walking to class or nightly activities

DECKS OF CARDSProvides a talking point for students while hanging out

BAR STAMPSServes as a reminder while out drinking and the following morningGains credibility because distributed by bars

BAR BATHROOM MIRRORSReach students when they’re out drinking

VIRAL VIDEOSProvides peer-based recommendation

WEB SITE & MOBILE SITECollege students spend a daily average of 3-5 hours online70% of college students have smart phones; mobile version of site allows for better navigation

FACEBOOK APPLICATION80 % of college students use FacebookAdds a social media element to a peer-based campaign

ONLINE PICTURE MESSAGING APPLICATION

96% of college students have cell phonesDrives web-based tra$c and peer-to-peer viral engagement

TWITTERGrowing social networking toolOpt-in feature invites messaging

COASTERSReach students when they’re already drinking by communicating via part of the bar environment

SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATIONOver 90% of Web sites are launched through searchDirects tra$c to Web site

TRADITIONAL

CAMPUS NEWSPAPERS77% of college students read their campus newspaper at least once a monthCampus-based communication

STADIUM BILLBOARDEncourages ownership of message

CABLECollege students spend an average of 10.6 hours a week watching TVLate-fringe spots will be placed on:

DIRECT

POSTCARDSReach students when eagerly awaiting arrival on campus

Channel Index ShowsMTV 316 The Hills, Fantasy FactoryVH1 242 America’s Next Top Model, Fabulous Life of...

Adult Swim 360 Family Guy, Aqua Teen Hunger ForceComedy Central 180 Daily Show, South ParkESPN 123 SportsCenter, Pardon the Interruption

Base: 18-24 year-old full-time college students

25 \\ Media Plan

MAXIMIZING REACH:THE TWO TIERSThe use of a two-tier system allows the $10 million budget to be stretched across as many universities as possible. The two-tier system also ensures that the universities with the biggest drinking problem receive the most emphasis. TIER 1

TIER 2

CREATIVEUniversities that participate in this tier will receive all creative executions.

PARTICIPATING SCHOOLSThis tier is comprised of 20 universities* that are most at-risk for dangerous drinking. The list was compiled based on the most frequently listed schools across four rankings:

The Princeton Review’s Party SchoolsThe Princeton Review’s Lots of Hard Liquor The Princeton Review’s Lots of BeerPlayboy’s Party Schools

TOTAL ENROLLMENT:500,000

CREATIVEUniversities that participate in this tier will receive everything in Tier 1 except for the campus newspaper ads, stadium billboard/jumbotron, cable spots and quad event.

PARTICIPATING SCHOOLSThere are 967 universities in this tier. The universities were selected from three groups, minus any overlap from Tier 1:

Universities involved in the Amethyst Initiative, a petition signed by university presidents to begin a discussion about drinking in collegeThe Princeton Review’s Best 368 collegesThe 20 biggest party schools from Tier 1 were heavily skewed across the following three factors: very large (10000+ students), East Central geography and Southeast geography. We used U.S. News to compile a list of schools that meet these criteria.

TOTAL ENROLLMENT:7,000,00

* Arizona State University, DePauw University, Florida State University, Indiana University Bloomington, Iowa State, Ohio

University, Penn State, Randolph Macon College, Tulane University, University of Colorado Boulder, University of California Santa Barbara, University of Georgia, University of New Hampshire,

University of Florida, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Mississippi, University of Tennessee, University of Texas

Austin, West Virginia University, University of Wisconsin Madison

Media Plan // 26

Union College (NY)United States Air Force AcademyUnited States Coast Guard AcademyUnited States Merchant Marine AcadenyUnited States Military AcademyUnited States Naval AcademyUniversity of IowaUniversity of Alabama at BirminghamUniversity of ArizonaUniversity of Arkansas-FayettvilleUniversity of California Los AngelesUniversity of California RiversideUniversity of California San DiegoUniversity of California Santa CruzUniversity of California BerkelyUniversity of Central FloridaUniversity of ChicagoUniversity of CincinnatiUniversity of ConnecticutUniversity of DallasUniversity of DelawareUniversity of DenverUniversity of FloridaUniversity of HartfordUniversity of IdahoUniversity of Illinois (Urbana Champaign)University of KansasUniversity of KentuckyUniversity of Louisiana LafayetteUniversity of MaineUniversity of Mary WashingtonUniversity of Maryland Baltimore CountyUniversity of Maryland College Park

University of Massachusetts-AmherstUniversity of MiamiUniversity of Michigan-Ann ArborUniversity of Minnesota-Twin CitiesUniversity of MississippiUniversity of Montana-MissoulaUniversity of Nebraska LincolnUniversity of New HavenUniversity of New MexicoUniversity of New OrleansCarolina at Chapel HillNorth Carolina at GreensboroUniversity of North DakotaUniversity of Notre DameUniversity of OklahomaUniversity of OregonUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of PittsburghUniversity of Pudget SoundUniversity of RedlandsUniversity of Rhode IslandUniversity of RichmondUniversity of San Diego

Siena CollegeSimmons CollegeSimons Rock College of BardSkidmore CollegeSmith CollegeSkidmore CollegeSmith CollegeSonoma State UniversitySouthern Methodist UniversitySouthern New Hampshire UniversitySouthwestern UniversitySpelman CollegeSpoon River CollegeSt. Anslem CollegeSt. Bonaventure UniversitySt. John’s College (MD)St. John’s College (NM)St. John’s University-QueensSt. Joseph CollegeSt. Lawrence UniversitySt. Mary’s College (CA)St. Mary’s College of MarylandSt. Olaf CollegeStanford UniversityStephen’s CollegeStevens Institute of TechnologySu!olk UniversitySUNY AlbanySUNY BinghamtonSUNY GeneseoSUNY Stony Brook UniversitySUNY University at Bu!aloSusquehanna UniversitySwarthmore CollegeSweet Briar CollegeSyracuse UniversityTemple UniversityTexas A&M UniversityThe Catholic University of AmericaThe College of IdahoThe College of New JerseyThe College of Woostert of Science and ArtThe Evergreen State CollegeThe Ohio State University-ColumbusThe University of Alabama TuscaloosaThe University of MontanaThe University of North Carolina at AshevilleThe University of South DakotaThe University of Texas at AustinThe University of TulsaThomas Aquinas CollegeTowson UniversityTransylvania UniversityTrinity CollegeTrinity Lutheran CollegeTrinity UniversityTruman State UniversityTufts UniversityTulaneTuskegee UniversityUniversity of Colorado BoulderUniversity of California Santa BarbaraUniversity of GeorgiaUniversity of New Hampshire

University of San FranciscoUniversity of ScrantonUniversity of South Carolina-ColumbiaUniversity of South FloridaUniversity of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of the Incarnate WordUniversity of the Paci"cUniversity of the SouthUniversity of TennesseeUniversity of UtahUniversity of VirginiaUniversity of WashingtonUniversity of Wisconsin-ParksideUniversity of WyomingUrsinus CollegeUniversity of Texas at AustinValparaiso UniversityVanderbilt UniversityVassar CollegeVermont Technical CollegeVillanova UniversityVirginia TechVoorhees CollegeWabash CollegeWagner CollegeWake Forest UniversityWarren Wilson CollegeWartburg CollegeWashington & Je!erson CollegeWashington & Lee UniversityWashington CollegeWashington State UniversityWashington University in St. LouisWebb InstituteWellesley CollegeWells CollegeWesleyan CollegeWesleyan UniversityWest Virginia UniversityWestminster College (PA)Westminster College of Salt Lake CityWheaton College (IL)Wheaton College (MA)Whittier CollegeWidener UniversityWillamette UniversityWilliam Jewel CollegeWillaims CollegeWilson CollegeWisconsinWittenberg UniversityWo!ord CollegeXavier University of LouisianaYale University

Monmouth UniversityUniversity of MontanaMontclair State UniversityMoravian CollegeMorningside CollegeMount Holyoke CollegeMuhlenberg CollegeMurray State UniversityNaropa UniversityNazareth CollegeNew College of FloridaNew England Culinary InstituteNew Jersey Institute of Technology New York UniversityNichols CollegeNorth Carolina State UniversityNortheastern UniversityNorthwestern UniversityOberlin CollegeOccidental CollegeOglethorpe UniversityOhio Northern UniversityOhio State UniversityOhio Wesleyan UniversityOregon College of Art & CraftPaci"c Lutheran UniversityPaci"c UniversityPaul Smith’s CollegePennsylvania State UniversityPepperdine UniversityPitzer CollegePomona CollegePrescott CollegePrinceton UniversityProvidence CollegePurdue University-West LafayetteQuincy UniversityQuinnipiac UniversityRandolph-Macon CollegeReed CollegeRensselaer Polytechnic InstituteRhodes CollegeRice CollegeRider UniversityRipon CollegeRobert Morris UniversityRochester Institute of TechnologyRollins CollegeRose-Hulman Institute of TechnologyRutgers-New BrunswickSacred heart UniversitySaginaw Valley State UniversitySaint Josephs’s University (PA)Saint Leo UniversitySaint Louis UniversitySaint Michael’s CollegeSalem State CollegeSalisbury UniversitySamford UniversitySanta Clara UniversitySarah Lawrence CollegeScripps CollegeSeattle UniversitySeton Hall UniversitySewanee-The University of the South

Hamilton CollegeHampshire CollegeHampton UniversityHanover CollegeHarvard CollegeHarvey Mudd CollegeHaverford CollegeHendrix CollegeHillsdale CollegeHiram CollegeHobart and CollegesHofstra UniversityHollins UniversityCollege of Holy CrossHoward UniversityIllinois Institute of TechnologyIllinois Wesleyan UniversityIndiana University of Pennsylvania Indiana-Bloomington Iowa UniversityIowa UniversityIthaca CollegeJames Madison UniversityJohns Hopkins UniversityJohnson and Wales UniversityJohnson State CollegeJuniata CollegeKalamazoo CollegeKansas State UniversityKapiolani Community CollegeKenyon CollegeKing’s CollegeKnox CollegeLafayette CollegeLake Forest CollegeLawrence UniversityLehigh UniversityLewis & Clark CollegeLoras College Loyola College of MarylandLoyola Marymount UniversityLoyola University New OrleansLoyola University of ChicagoLynchburg CollegeLyndon State CollegeMacalester CollegeMaine Maritime AcademyManhattan CollegeManhattanville CollegeMarian Court CollegeMarist CollegeMarlboro CollegeMarquette UniversityMercer UniversityMetropolitan State College of DenverMiami UniversityMichigan State UniversityMichigan State UniversityMichigan Technological UniversityMiddlebury CollegeMills CollegeMillsaps CollegeScience and TechnologyInstitute of TechnologyMitchell College

Columbia UniversityColumbus College of Art & DesignConnecticut CollegeCornell CollegeCreighton UniversityCollege of IdahoCollege of Notre Dame of MarylandCollege of St. JosephCollege of the Atlantic College of the OzarksCollege of William and MaryColorado CollegeColorado State UniversityColumbia UniversityColumbus College of Art & DesignConnecticut CollegeCornell CollegeCreighton UniversityCUNY BaruchCUNY BrooklynCUNY HunterCUNY QueensDartmouth CollegeDavidson CollegeDavis and Elkins CollegeDeep Springs CollegeDenison UniversityDePaul UniversityDePauw UniversityDickinson CollegeDrew UniversityDrexel UniversityDuke UniversityDuquesne UniversityEckerd CollegeElizabethtown CollegeElmira CollegeElon UniversityEmerson CollegeEckerd CollegeEmory UniversityEndicott CollegeEugene Lang CollegeFair"eld UniversityFielding InstituteFisk UniversityFlagler CollegeFlorida Southern CollegeFlorida State UniversityFordham UniversityFranklin & Marshall CollegeFranklin W. Olin College of EngineeringFurman UniversityGeorge Mason UniversityGeorge Washington UniversityGeorgetown UniversityGeorgia Institute of TechnologyGettysburg CollegeGonzaga UniversityGoodwin CollegeGoucher CollegeGrinnell CollegeGrove City CollegeGuilford CollegeGustavus Adolphus College

Agnes Scott collegeAlbion CollegeAlfred UniversityAllegheny CollegeAmerican International CollegeAmerican UniversityAmherst CollegeArcadia UniversityArizona StateAuburn UniversityAustin CollegeAvila UniversityBabson CollegeBard CollegeBarnard CollegeBates CollegeBaylor UniversityBellarmine UniversityBeloit CollegeBennington CollegeBentley UniversityBerea CollegeBethany CollegeBirmingham-Southern CollegeBoston CollegeBoston UniversityBowdoin CollegeBradley UniversityBrandeis UniversityBrigham Young University UTBrown UniversityBryant UniversityBryn Mawr CollegeBucknell UniversityButler UniversityCalifornia Institute of TechnologyCalifornia State University, StainslausCalvin CollegeCarleton CollegeCarnegia Mellon UniversityCastleton State CollegeCatawba CollegeCazenovia CollegeCedar Crest CollegeCentenary College of LouisianaCentre CollegeChapman UniversityChatham UniversityChicago State UniversityClaremont McKenna CollegeClark UniversityClarkson UniversityClemson UniversityCoe CollegeColyb CollegeColgate UniversityCollege of CharlestonCollege of IdahoCollege of Notre Dame of MarylandCollege of St. JosephCollege of the Atlantic College of the OzarksCollege of William and MaryColorado CollegeColorado State University

REACH ACROSS THE COUNTRY

= Tier 1

= Tier 2

Targeted universities cover all 50 states

27 \\ Media Plan

“ “ The first three weeks of the semesters are when we see the most problems. Students are either just starting college or seeing their friends after a long time.-Officer from Syracuse University’s Department

of Public Safety

SCHEDULING & PHASINGSCHEDULINGAlthough the campaign will run year-round, the majority of the campaign will coincide with the academic year of August to May.

It is easier to reach students while they are on campusThe Gordie Foundation (a foundation dedicated to a student who died of alcohol poisoning), keeps a list of alcohol-related deaths of those under age 25. According to a statistical analysis of this list, alcohol-related deaths are approximately 68% lower in the summer months than they are during the academic year.

There will be extra emphasis in August and September, because this is the most dangerous drinking period. Also, for freshmen, this is when many college drinking habits are formed.

PHASING

Certain media placements have important timing elements to make their message most e"ective:Postcards: sent to students in August before they arrive on campus to spark interest in the campaign.Posters: sold in August & September when students look to decorate their bland roomsSidewalk clings: implemented in warmer months of August, September, April and May so that the placements aren’t covered by snowViral video: released in October after “The Stupid Drink” concept has been introduced and de"nedDecks of cards: placed in dorm lounges from November-February to occupy students during the colder monthsViral video contest: begins in January after students have had an opportunity to view the original viral videoResearch booklets: sent in July to discuss campaign results from prior yearBar elements (coasters, stamps, mirrors, decks of cards): phased together to maximize frequency.

Media Plan // 28

“ “

PARTNERSHIPS & EXPANDING THE BUDGETWhen we went to "nd other organizations with which to partner in order to strengthen The Stupid Drink campaign, we realized that our approach to the problem was di!erent from other messages out there. While other organizations focus on “not drinking”, we focus on the distinction between “drinking” and “drinking too much”.

We feared that partnering with another anti-drinking organization would only serve to dilute our message. Instead of partnering with other organizations from the beginning, we believe that it is best to spend a year “proving” that our messaging works with the goal that potential partners will realize the e!ectiveness of the message behind the stupid drink and will choose to join the campaign in the future.

The most important and e!ective partners for a campaign like this come from the local level. Reducing negative consequences can only be achieved if it is supported by a strong sense of community. The best way that partners can help extend the budget is by providing free media placements. This allows the $10 million to be stretched across as many universities as possible.

The 967 targeted universities are the most important partners in this campaign. We spoke to representatives from several universities, and all of them con"rmed that they would not charge for media placements for a campaign such as The Stupid Drink.

Local bar associations are also important partners because they are where many students socialize and consume alcohol. These bar associations can also assist by providing free media placements.

In order to partner with an organization like The Century Council, I wouldn’t need to see specific data, but I would need to see how they are approaching the problem. Right now, there is no middle ground about reasonable drinking, and the difference between drinking and drinking too much. - Nancy Cantor, Chancellor & President Syracuse University

29 \\ Media Plan

FLOWCHARTBUDGET Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Total

NONTRADTIONAL

Bathroom stickers (dorm) $67,500

Posters for sale $21,938

Cardboard standups $319,110

Kiosk insert $116,040

Sidewalk cling $972,000

Decks of cards $671,250

Coasters $262,500

Bar stamps $79,500

Bathroom mirrors (bars) $135,000

eBranding

Web site domain & hosting $200

Mobile version of Web site $0

Search engine optimization $240,000

Facebook application $0

Viral videos $0

Online picture messaging application $0

Twitter $0

TRADITIONAL

Campus newspapers $400,000

Stadium billboard/Jumbotron $300,000

Cable $3,000,000

DIRECT

Postcards $2,760,000

Booklet about research findings $1,462

EVENTS/PROMOTIONS

Quad event $20,000

Viral video contest $2,000

PRODUCTION

Creative production $500,000

OTHER

Bill Nye endorsement $20,000

Research $110,000

TOTAL $9,998,499

Media Plan // 30

CAMPAIGN EVALUATIONTO REITERATE, OUR CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVES: 1) Reduce the percentage of students who report having experienced negative consequences by 20% in year one, measured nationally, campus-wide and individually

2) Increase the percentage of students who are able to recognize their line to 25% in year one, 50% in year two and 75% in year three

3) Introduce The Stupid Drink as the way for peers to discuss problematic drinking and what their line is, and have 40% awareness of The Stupid Drink among all college students in year one.

TRACKING STUDYTo track the progress of our campaign and to standardize the metrics used in evaluating our initial objectives, we will be including market research in the campaign. As part of this research, there will be a semi-annual survey sent to students and administrators at all participating schools across the country. These "ndings will be compiled, published and distributed to participating schools, news organizations and government organizations. The "ndings will also be available on the “College Drinking Solutions” Web site.

WE CONDUCTED COPY TESTS TO INITIALLY EVALUATE THE CAMPAIGNAfter viewing our creative campaign,

95% of college students agreed that The Stupid Drink is a clear concept89% of college students agreed that they were likely to think about The Stupid Drink while they are out drinking

The Stupid Drink message is simple, clear and memorable. It is an idea that will be used and remembered by college students while they are drinking. These results are unprecedented and revolutionary amongst anti-binge drinking messages.

31 \\ Campaign Evaluation

& THANK YOUCREDITS

Thank You & Credits // 32

Maria Sinopoli, Account Management DirectorPaul Savaiano, Research & Strategic Planning Director

Peter Ceran, Creative DirectorGregory Rozmus, Media Director

Erica Bruno, Book/Graphic Designer

The students of ADV 425 “Advertising Campaigns”: Christina DiPhillips, Amanda Dwyer, Danielle Eck, Laurin Garbarino, Blair Gontowicz, Erica Gorlick, Ronald Hughes, Andrea Serra, Stephen Shoemaker, Jonathan Smolin and Allison Yoest.

Thanks to Kate Overholt, David Ma, Alison Leung, Pam Sidran and Agatha Lutoborski for their continued help and dedication to making this campaign great.

The students of ADV 509 “Advertising Research”, under the direction of Dr. James Tsao.

This campaign would not have been possible without the support of our amazing faculty: Professors Ed Russell, Kevin O’Neill, Brian Sheehan, Amy Falkner, Sherri Taylor, Kevin Mann, Carla Lloyd and department chair Dr. James Tsao.We appreciate your endless o$ce hours and willingness to always push us to do our best. You have all taught us so much about advertising and we are excited to apply our knowledge and passion in the “real world” next year.

We would also like to thank AAF and The Century Council for giving us this amazing opportunity. It was an incredibly interesting challenge and we hope you are as excited about our campaign as we are!