Diageo 'proposed more safe drinking ads'
Diageo boss Paul Walsh reportedly told Gordon Brown the industry proposed making one in every six ads a warning about the risks of heavy drinking.
That is according to minutes of the high-profile meeting with trade leaders in Downing Street last month, leaked to the Independent on Sunday. Diageo currently runs ads encouraging responsible drinking called The Choice is Yours.
The report says the Prime Minister warned the trade that more enforcement could be on the cards if voluntary action to urge rock-bottom prices in the off-trade were unsuccessful.
This was confirmed last week when health minister Ben Bradshaw said the Government is "prepared to change the law" regarding below cost selling of alcohol.
Meanwhile, Diageo has slated new research from Bath University that claims ads aimed at encouraging responsible drinking - including its own commercials - actually encourage people to get drunk.
A Diageo spokeswoman said: "In developing The Choice is Yours campaign, we carried out extensive research amongst 3,500 18 - 35 year-olds across Europe to ensure we delivered a campaign that would resonate strongly with this age group. Bath University talked to 94 people.
"Our research - both qualitative and quantitative - showed that young adults were much more likely to consider drinking responsibly if they believed that by drinking excessively they would be in danger of losing their social credibility and standing - precisely the message our campaigns convey.
"Assessment of our previous responsible drinking work which explored the same themes - our 'Mirror' and 'Many Me' campaigns - showed that 71% of people were much more likely to consider drinking responsibly once they had been exposed to the adverts.
"Based on our extensive research, coupled with our experience of developing and delivering these campaigns over a number of years now, we are confident they have a proven positive effect.
"We're proud of our adverts. They are strategically sound, evidence based and not designed to simply grab headlines."
