There is a lot of news media information about the deleterious effects of alcohol consumption. It’s probably being overlooked or dismissed by its target audience. There are campaigns about drink driving. At least some people find the fear of a huge fine a deterrent.
But now there’s a friendly, simple campaign that doesn’t preach or threaten. It also comes with a message that hasn’t been tried before – be nice to your brain. And it is based on the relatable truth that if your brain could talk, it would probably ask you to drink a little less (or not at all).
The campaign is by agency, Berlin Perth, for The Foundation of Alcohol Research and Education (FARE), in partnership with the Tasmanian Government. It is running throughout Tasmania to highlight how alcohol can impact mental health and wellbeing, ahead of what is aptly named, inadvertently, the silly season.
Be Nice to Brain is underpinned by the National Health and Medical Research Council’s Australian Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Drinking Alcohol and a recent survey of Tasmanians which revealed:
• 1 in 3 people are unaware of the link between alcohol and mental health.
• 1 in 4 Tasmanians want to reduce their alcohol consumption—rising to 1 in 3 for those aged 25-44.
• Almost 1 in 10 people have seven or more standard drinks on a single occasion.
It leads with a series of social and digital videos:
The campaign was developed in consultation with people who have lived experience of alcohol and mental health concerns, as well as local community organisations and health professionals. The full campaign includes tips and strategies for making changes in alcohol consumption, and will run until mid-2026.
Rich Berney, executive creative director at Berlin, stated, “The mind and body are not always on the same page, so this campaign explores a ‘real’ conversation between the two. And the more mind and body talk, the more they understand one another.”
Credits
Client: Foundation of Alcohol Research & Education (FARE)
CEO: Caterina Giorgi
Senior Health Promotion Advisor: Susan Hickson
Health Programs Director: Kristie Cocotis
Health Promotion Manager: Cameron Banks
Senior Digital Media Advisor: Matthew Johnson
Senior Designer: Steven Rummukainen
Marketing and Communications Director: Joanna Le
Creative Agency: Berlin
Managing Partner & Head of Strategy: John Linton
Managing Partner & Executive Creative Director: Rich Berney
Design Director: Will Miles
Senior Creative: Mark Fretten
Client Lead and Producer: Christina Zimmer
Animation: Marco Palmieri
Illustration: Rich Berney
Sound Design: Keith Thomas @ Alchemy Audio Post Production
Voiceover Artist: Timothy Logan
