'Drink Responsibly' more than just a brand slogan

When you hear the words "Public Service Announcement," you probably tune out. That's probably why companies who produce them don't call them that; they call them "brand responsibility spots" or some such thing.

The next time you see one that has to do with NASCAR, however, remember this: The public service announcement allows companies like Diageo, makers of Crown Royal, to make a difference in the sport by promoting responsible use of their product to race fans, the majority of whom are no strangers to adult beverage in various forms.

As part of his sober driver initiative, Jamie McMurray piloted a No. 26 purple and gold Ford Fusion around the streets of downtown Indianapolis for a handful of fans who were able to chat up the driver from the back seat while he dropped them safely at their doorstep.

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"We do not want people to misuse our products," said Dan Sanborn, senior director of Diageo. "We want them to enjoy them, but responsibly. If you look at the stable of brands that we have, and where they're priced, it really comes down to quality. It's not about drinking more; it's about drinking better and being in control."

Sanborn doesn't see the prototypical "redneck" image that NASCAR has spent the past 15 years trying to get away from, and not only that, he is of the opinion that NASCAR fans are some of the most respectful in all of sports.

"There's a value system there in NASCAR that I think is underrated, and there are generalizations that are made in reference to good ol' boys," he said. "This is a sport where, yes, they like to enjoy themselves and have a good time, but they are not only some of the most respectful people you're ever going to meet, they have a lot of pride and a lot of passion for their sport. I think that translates over into a value system that we believe lends itself to this message about responsibility."

Sanborn gave an example.

"We were in Michigan in 2005 when we first got into the sport, and there was a massive Kurt Busch fan that also happened to be a huge Crown Royal fan, and he had this huge purple bus that he had painted to exactly replicate the No. 97 car, as it was then.

"On the back of it and again on the side, there was the "Be a Champion, Drink Responsibly" message. This guy went to some extraordinary lengths to get this thing right, and I was struck by this. I asked him, 'Why did you throw that message on your bus?' His answer was, 'I just didn't feel right without it, and it's a good message; who doesn't want to be a champion?'

"You're going to always have a challenge to overcome in reaching people, but I don't think it's any different in NASCAR than it is anywhere else. You just spend more time at it."

Diageo is a world leader in beer, wine and spirits, with 17 of the top 100 brands in the world, and as such, takes its responsibility to promote responsible consumption very seriously.

"Sport, for Diageo in general and our brand, Crown Royal, is the perfect platform to get a message like this out. One, it provides us scale which is virtually unmatched. Secondly, it is a very unique opportunity to connect emotionally with these adult fans about responsible drinking.

"We know NASCAR fans are responsive to the driver and the sponsors of those drivers. Jamie McMurray is a professional race car driver who has a real meaningful relationship with the fan. It's much more credible in delivering our "Be a Champion: Drink Responsibly" message than I could ever be. Drivers have a respect and affinity for them. It's an unbelievable platform for us.

"We've had a lot of success because of that reach and the emotional connection, but in sports in general we've found something that's meaningful and impactful when it comes to responsible drinking."

In July, at the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, Crown Royal debuted its "Safe Rides Home" public service announcement, where McMurray and a team of drivers give rides home to people who might have...overindulged while hitting the club scene. The commercials are pretty funny, with a cabbie named Arty giving McMurray tips on proper air freshener and music selections. McMurray had a blast doing them.

"I really enjoyed shooting those PSAs for Crown Royal," McMurray said. "The cab driver, Arty, was a really cool guy to work with the entire day. He was a very serious guy off camera, but when they started shooting, he completely turned it on. He had everyone on the set laughing the entire time.

"And it's really cool to be able to help deliver Crown Royal's message of 'Be a Champion. Drink Responsibly' through the commercials, which I have to say are really funny. The commercials have really been a big hit and help promote Crown Royal's message."

For McMurray, who is no stranger to product endorsement and promotion, it was a refreshing change. "It's been a lot different with Crown Royal and promoting their message," he said. "Typically you work with a sponsor and try to promote a brand or a particular item, or good. With Crown Royal, we have really worked together to help promote their responsible drinking message. The last two years I've worked with them to help promote their "Safe Rides Home" program, where I actually get to drive people home who might have had too much to drink earlier in the night. It's a pretty cool program that I'm proud to be a part of. We have a really good relationship both on and off the track, which I feel is really important."

So Sanborn was right when he called the affinity of fans into the mix.

Sales of product can be measured, and so can return on investment. But how does a company measure the success of a given initiative when there are no sales numbers?

"There are a few things [to measure]," Sanborn said. "What is our end goal? It's to inform people that they have choices when they're out drinking. You can get a ride home, know your limits, educate yourself on your blood alcohol content and how alcohol affects you.

"The first step in getting that information out there is driving awareness. One of the key measurements is how many people we touch, how many times we touch them and whether or not they're aware of the message. I'm pleased to report that since we've been in NASCAR, we've seen a significant increase in the awareness of our message. Through the work we've done through the PSAs, we've seen some very good awareness of some of the programs The Century Council is doing, like b4udrink.org, which is the one we're promoting right now."

How good? Try 100 million impressions. Trust me, that's good.

"On this PSA alone, we're getting 100 million impressions, touching a ton of people with it," Sanborn said. "That's not including Diageo, which sets a very high minimum for any broadcast advertising of 20 percent off the top toward responsible drinking. That's the first step, and we take it above and beyond with PSAs and Safe Rides Home and things like that. We're touching huge numbers on the paid side and we come in underneath that and add on with these PSAs and programs.

"Since 2005, we have reached a ton of people. We have seen 50 percent of adult NASCAR fans that have some knowledge of our message and a lot of our programs.

"The 'Be a Champion: Drink Responsibly' message is on everything we touch in the sport."

Even Crown Royal's consumer contests, like the Your Name Here 400 at Richmond, have the message attached. Every submission the company received resulted in a donation to Recording Artists Actors and Athletes Against Drunk Driving that totaled $50,000.

"For a company like Diageo and a brand like Crown Royal, it's about quality, not quantity," Sanborn said again. "At the end of the day, we recognize and see that the more people we can hit with a message on responsible drinking, no matter what sport or consumer segment we're going after, as an opportunity to inform people to make the right decision."

Next time one of the Crown Royal PSAs hits your TV screen, tune in, not out, and listen to the message. It could have a lasting "impact" on your life or the lives of those around you.