Havas Red tackles Gen Z drinking culture debate in emotional Gruen campaign

Australia – Australia’s shifting social culture took centre stage on Gruen this week after Havas Red aired an emotional campaign examining how Gen Z approaches nightlife, connection, and modern adulthood.

The agency appeared on The Pitch, the programme’s advertising face-off segment, where agencies were tasked with a deliberately provocative brief: convince Gen Z to bring back drinking culture.

Rather than promoting alcohol itself, Havas Red’s campaign focused on what it argued younger audiences are increasingly losing—spontaneity, shared social experiences, and imperfect moments that become lasting memories.

The campaign, titled A Good Life, follows a conversation between a young adult and their grandfather reflecting on life, regret, and the value of unplanned social moments.

Scenes of nights out, gatherings, and messy human interaction are contrasted against themes now deeply embedded in Gen Z culture: doomscrolling, wellness routines, loneliness, and the pressure to maintain a “perfect” life.

Shane Russell, Chief Executive Officer of Havas Red, said the agency intentionally avoided producing a conventional alcohol advertisement.

“We weren’t interested in making an ad about drinking itself,” Russell said.

“We wanted to create something about spontaneity, shared experiences and the moments people remember for years afterwards. The campaign was really about social culture and human connection more broadly,” he added.

The work reflects wider shifts taking place across Australia’s social and nightlife economy, as younger consumers increasingly drink less frequently than previous generations and spend more time socialising online.