Brewers find public service opens ad spots
Breweries have launched a two-month campaign on Telewizja Polska (TVP) to warn consumers against drinking and driving, industry representatives said. The campaign, which coincides with the season both for peak beer sales and traffic accidents, consists of at least two, 30-second spots a day and includes logos of breweries sponsoring the "Drink, don't drive" message.
Brewers are banned from advertising alcohol and normally would not be able to advertise on television unless it was for a non-alcoholic beer.
Breweries said they are performing a public service and consumer watchdog, Competition and Consumer Protection Office (UOKiK), so far is staying on the sidelines.
"I can't see why we should intervene," Rafal Geremek, director of the UOKK, told the Business Journal. "We tend to take up legal action against sponsors of ads only when it's crystal clear that they break the law."
And that's not the case in this campaign, he said. "Such ads have always two angles, and it's up to consumers how they will interpret their message," Geremek said. "Take the example of cigarette producers who sponsored the campaign against smoking addressed to teenagers." And that campaign went unopposed by the consumer group.
Brewers would not detail the budget line for the current campaign, but the cost to get the message across could easily top $30 million this summer, based on TVP's rates for two prime-time ads running for 60 days. The current 20% summer discount rate runs zl. 99,000 for a 30-second prime spot. "They are paying like for a regular advertising campaign." Tomasz Sieniutycz, director of Biuro Reklamy (BR), TVP's advertising office, told the Business Journal.
There is no contradiction in the fact that the industry sponsors such a campaign, brewers said.
"It proves that we are up to the responsibility that comes with production of alcohol," said Pawel Sudol, president of Kompania Piwowarska, the brewery group formed by Tyskie Browary Ksialece and Lech Browary Wielkopolskie. "We want people to be aware of the fact that beer contains alcohol. A responsible producer wants to face a responsible customer."
The campaign, which began earlier this month, coincides with the high season for auto accidents, according to police statistics. And last year, drunk drivers caused over 11,000 accidents, 13% of which were fatal, police said.
Apart from its summer appearance in July and August, the ad campaign will be repeated during Christmas and on New Year's Day, according to industry representatives. Organizers also plan to continue the campaign in the coming year. This year, Okocim joined the group of Polish breweries Zywiec, Elbrewery, Tyskie Browary Ksialece and Lech Browary Wielkopolskie.
"It's how we will try to implement a rule of not drinking before driving," Sudol said.
Telewizja Polska is also hopping on the responsible drinking bandwagon through four spots featuring TVP's most popular presenters. These spots calling for sober drivers will be broadcast during the next five months, TVP said. The national broadcaster is also spreading the word through an outdoor advertising and radio campaign carrying its brand name.
Brewers are banned from advertising alcohol and normally would not be able to advertise on television unless it was for a non-alcoholic beer.
Breweries said they are performing a public service and consumer watchdog, Competition and Consumer Protection Office (UOKiK), so far is staying on the sidelines.
"I can't see why we should intervene," Rafal Geremek, director of the UOKK, told the Business Journal. "We tend to take up legal action against sponsors of ads only when it's crystal clear that they break the law."
And that's not the case in this campaign, he said. "Such ads have always two angles, and it's up to consumers how they will interpret their message," Geremek said. "Take the example of cigarette producers who sponsored the campaign against smoking addressed to teenagers." And that campaign went unopposed by the consumer group.
Brewers would not detail the budget line for the current campaign, but the cost to get the message across could easily top $30 million this summer, based on TVP's rates for two prime-time ads running for 60 days. The current 20% summer discount rate runs zl. 99,000 for a 30-second prime spot. "They are paying like for a regular advertising campaign." Tomasz Sieniutycz, director of Biuro Reklamy (BR), TVP's advertising office, told the Business Journal.
There is no contradiction in the fact that the industry sponsors such a campaign, brewers said.
"It proves that we are up to the responsibility that comes with production of alcohol," said Pawel Sudol, president of Kompania Piwowarska, the brewery group formed by Tyskie Browary Ksialece and Lech Browary Wielkopolskie. "We want people to be aware of the fact that beer contains alcohol. A responsible producer wants to face a responsible customer."
The campaign, which began earlier this month, coincides with the high season for auto accidents, according to police statistics. And last year, drunk drivers caused over 11,000 accidents, 13% of which were fatal, police said.
Apart from its summer appearance in July and August, the ad campaign will be repeated during Christmas and on New Year's Day, according to industry representatives. Organizers also plan to continue the campaign in the coming year. This year, Okocim joined the group of Polish breweries Zywiec, Elbrewery, Tyskie Browary Ksialece and Lech Browary Wielkopolskie.
"It's how we will try to implement a rule of not drinking before driving," Sudol said.
Telewizja Polska is also hopping on the responsible drinking bandwagon through four spots featuring TVP's most popular presenters. These spots calling for sober drivers will be broadcast during the next five months, TVP said. The national broadcaster is also spreading the word through an outdoor advertising and radio campaign carrying its brand name.
