Tag: Diageo

Singapore – Diageo has launched its flagship programme on anti-drunk driving in Singapore entitled ‘Wrong Side of the Road’ (WOSTR), which aims to educate the public and help them understand the consequences of drunk driving. Developed together with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the programme offers an interactive experience to help individuals understand the effects of alcohol and the shame and stigma that comes with drunk driving.

In Singapore, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs, over 1,000 people were caught by the Traffic Police for drunk driving in the first nine months of 2021, about the same number as the same period last year. 117 people were injured in drunk-driving accidents from January to September 2021, an increase from 103 over the same period last year. On average, one person is killed every month due to an accident related to drunk driving.

WSOTR is a learning experience presented through a series of real-life scenarios with three drunk drivers in the format of a pre-recorded video call. As each story unfolds, the resource invites the participant to ask increasingly honest questions that will resonate with all drivers such as “Did you feel pressure to drive?”, “What was going through your head?” and “How did your family react?”. At the end of the module, participants will be shown a summary of their learnings and directed towards other online resources that can offer additional advice and support. Since its launch in Great Britain in May 2021, WSOTR has been rolled out across more than 20 markets worldwide. Singapore will be the second SEA market to launch WSOTR after Thailand.

Gabriel Opoku-Assare, corporate relations director for Diageo SEA, shared, “We are committed to changing attitudes towards drunk driving and to show through our industry-leading programmes that there is always a better option when it comes to drunk driving. Through WSOTR, we want to expose drivers to real-life situations and share compelling stories about drunk driving that may save their lives, their loved ones, and even innocent bystanders. We want to empower them to make a conscious choice.”

Diageo has a long-standing commitment to promoting positive drinking through its 10-year sustainability action plan, Society 2030: Spirit of Progress. As part of the Spirit of Progress targets, WSOTR aims to change the attitudes towards drunk driving of five million drivers across the world by 2030. It builds on DRINKiQ, Diageo’s dedicated responsible drinking platform, which has already reached out to hundreds of thousands of users across SEA in partnership with companies such as Grab. Diageo has also pioneered programmes such as Smashed, a learning resource for teachers and facilitators to educate young people on the dangers of underage drinking, which is live in Indonesia, Cambodia, and the Philippines.

Supporting the launch of Wrong Side of the Road in Singapore, Diageo is teaming up with SGAG and its cast of stand-up comedians, thespians and digital content creators to deliver this important message of responsible drinking to youth through impactful humour. The SGAG campaign will run in June 2022.

Singapore – Beverage company Diageo has elevated Wilson Del Socorro, former global director of government affairs at Diageo, to be its new corporate relations director for APAC. 

In his new role, Del Socorro will be working with the regional and market teams to lead Diageo’s corporate relations agenda covering public policy and government affairs, communications, and responsibility and sustainability efforts. He will also be playing a leadership role in driving the company’s ‘Spirit of Progress 2030’ ambition in the region, Diageo’s 10-year action plan to help create a more inclusive and sustainable world. 

Del Socorro has been with Diageo for almost 10 years covering a range of roles in Asia and the UK. In his recent role, he led an international team of policy experts and economists to develop and implement the company’s global strategy on public policy, international trade, and regulatory affairs. Before joining Diageo, Del Socorro was with consulting firm KPMG Australia, providing public policy and government relations advisory services to multinational clients across a range of industries.

Sam Fischer, Diageo’s president for APAC and global travel, shared that Del Socorro brings with him extensive public policy experience and industry knowledge as well as a strong track record of leading teams beyond borders.

“I am confident that Wilson will be influential in helping to drive the next chapter of growth for us in [the] Asia Pacific supporting our markets and partnering with our network of stakeholders as we continue to deliver on performance and create a positive impact in the communities within which we operate,” said Fischer.

Melbourne, Australia – Activation agency Traffik has recently concluded three brand experience activations during the anticipated 2022 Australian Open tennis tournament. Said tournament is the beginning of Traffik’s work for the year, with brands responding to consumer’s pent up demand for real-life experiences.

The agency continued its work with global alcohol beverage company Diageo to bring to life the newly formed partnership between the Australian Open and Gordon’s Gin, with multiple bars built across the Melbourne and Olympic Park site plus halo activities to activate “Shall We Saturday”. 

In addition, the partnership enabled Gordon’s Gin to hero key flavours Premium Pink, Mediterranean Orange and Sicilian Lemon in addition to their new Alcohol-Free product and classic Gordon’s London Dry.

Traffik also secured two new global clients for the 2022 tournament, Rolex and Dunlop.

Through the new clientele, the agency worked in collaboration with Hype Workshop in building the Rolex VIP hospitality suite for their guests, retailers and senior executives, with the partnership showcasing world-class hospitality to local retailers and allowing their guests to get as close to the action as possible on Rod Laver Arena.

Lastly, sports brand Dunlop, which is the official tennis ball during the tournament, had a small but popular photo activation on-site to engage fans and provide them with a unique photographic moment to commemorate their time at Melbourne Park.

Mark Edney, head of sponsorship at Traffik, said, “It’s been a wonderful year for our team at the Australian Open. Our partnership with Diageo continues to strengthen, and the learnings from this event will further enhance how the brand leverages the partnership in 2023.”

He added, “It was also a pleasure to bring Rolex and Dunlop to the Traffik family. Rolex identified Traffik as having the strong internal relationships with Tennis Australia that unlocks opportunities and enables Hype to produce their best work. As an agency, we don’t always have to play a lead role. At times, our strongest contribution is to unlock opportunities for others to deliver outstanding work. This year highlighted the technical production and project management capabilities of our team and our ability to deliver different client experiences.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – The Malaysian branch of global alcohol beverage manufacturer Moët Hennessy Diageo has appointed Kingdom Digital as its digital agency to handle the Diageo portfolio, specifically Scotch whisky brand Johnnie Walker and its single malt Scotch whisky brand Singleton. The agency was appointed in September following a pitch in April.

Under the appointment, Kingdom Digital will be responsible for assisting both Johnnie Walker and Singleton brands in their content planning and creation, creative development, along with social media management and performance analysis. The agency said the appointment is for a period of four months, with a possibility of extension.

Rajesh Joshi, marketing director of Moët Hennessy Diageo Malaysia for Diageo brands, said, “We are thrilled to partner with Kingdom Digital. The agency has demonstrated a good understanding of our brands, digital strategy, and goals in driving our business forward through innovative ideas. We look forward to producing campaigns that resonate well with our brands’ audiences and deliver exciting work for the Malaysian market.”

Meanwhile, Kingdom Digital’s CEO Ryan Ong commented, “It’s an honor for us to work with such esteemed brands. Through this partnership, we are confident that we’ll be able to assist Johnnie Walker and Singleton in strengthening their brand awareness and expanding their reach through a more digital-first approach.”

One of the agency’s first campaigns for Johnnie Walker includes promoting its newly-launched limited-edition John Walker & Sons XR 21 – The Legacy Collection. The latest collection aims to celebrate the rich heritage and diversity of the Malaysian Chinese communities.

To support this, Kingdom Digital produced a short, animated video that centered on the intricate heritage of the Cantonese, Hakka, and Hokkien clans. The video was released early November on Johnnie Walker’s Facebook.

The second phase of the XR 21 Legacy Collection campaign, set to roll out in December, will be focusing on a few other Chinese communities. Aside from digital asset development and video production for the campaign, Kingdom Digital will also be leveraging on Johnnie Walker’s social media channels for further visibility