“In Singapore, we have witnessed a rise in the incidents of drink-driving, with more than 350 people injured or dead last year. That’s 350 too many. Alcohol is there to be enjoyed - but responsibly. No one should ever drink and drive,” said Liu Menuhin, alcohol and responsibility director, Diageo Asia-Pacific.
The company has introduced the ‘Diageo guardian angel’ initiative. For three months, a team of ‘responsible drinking’ ambassadors - dressed as angels - will visit major nightspots to hand out bottles of water, t-shirts and temporary tattoos with the message ‘if you drink, don’t drive’. In addition, Diageo has engaged two local celebrities - TV hosts Jamie Yeo and Utt - to front the campaign.
The project was developed by the company in Venezuela and was adapted for Singapore by the corporate communications team and the plan is to roll it out regionally, said Liu, who declined to reveal the cost of the project. However, he said that globally, Diageo has committed one per cent of its annual operating profit - about US$35 million - to community projects and social investments.
‘Diageo guardian angel’ builds upon previous community efforts made by the world’s largest alcoholic drinks maker. Earlier this year, it ran a radio campaign during Chinese New Year to encourage responsible drinking during the festive season,” Liu said. Diageo also established a bartender-training centre to instill responsible service practices within the industry.
The Asia-Pacific region is expected to account for 11.5 per cent of Diageo’s global sales volume this year, up from last year’s 10.8 per cent.
