Up in Neon: Not Until 21

May 01, 2008

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Up in Neon: Not Until 21

Neon signs at liquor stores, messages on brown bags and hangers on bottles remind shoppers that drinking is illegal before age 21.

Salt Lake City, May 1, 2008 – It’s prom time. It’s graduation time. It’s time to party outdoors. And it’s the responsibility of parents to keep their teens alcohol-free during these activities. On May 8 at the Sugar House liquor store, the neon will be switched on, launching the “Not Until 21” campaign part of the state-wide program, ParentsEmpowered.org. Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, Salt Lake City Chief of Police Chris Burbank, and Mary Anne Mantes, liquor commissioner for the state’s Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, will be on hand to lend their support to the campaign. Additional reminders that no drinking before age 21 is the law will be introduced. All 38 state liquor stores will sport the neon sign and distribute the reminders.

Messages
•    In neon: “Not Until 21, Parents Empowered.org” and a goblet in a blinking red circle with a slash through it.
•    On brown bags: “Don’t drink contents until properly aged. New research shows underage drinking can cause permanent brain damage.”
•    On bottle tags: “It Sticks. Parental disapproval is the #1 reason kids don’t drink.” A peel-and-stick label reads, “Underage drinking can permanently damage your brain (and your social life – we’re talking grounded forever.” The label can be attached to bottles as reminders that liquor in the home is not appropriate for consumption by those under 21.

Why
ParentsEmpowered.org and the DABC have joined forces to remind the public of the dangers and consequences of breaking the law and the health risks of drinking before the legal age. Underage drinking is a growing problem in Utah. Research shows that parents are the number one deterrent from underage drinking. Marketing research says, “Messages at the point-of-purchase remind parents effectively that underage drinking is illegal, harmful and dangerous.”

When
May 8, 2008, at 10 a.m.

Where
Sugar House State Liquor Store, 1154 Ashton Ave, Salt Lake City

Who
In addition to Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, Salt Lake City Chief of Police Chris Burbank, and Mary Anne Mantes, liquor commissioner for the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, M.A.D.D., Highway Safety, Utah Prevention and Utah Safe Free Schools are also involved in the campaign.

ParentsEmpowered.org is a statewide campaign focused on eliminating underage drinking in Utah. Its primary goals are to educate parents about the dangers of underage drinking and provide them with proven skills to communicate with their children about remaining alcohol-free. More information is available at www.parentsempowered.org.

R&R Partners, a strategic advertising firm, oversees the ParentsEmpowered.org campaign. The agency builds innovative brand relationships across a wide range of audiences through such integrated services as advertising, public relations, government and public affairs, research, media, branded entertainment and digital marketing. Ranked among the top 10 regional agencies in the U.S. by Adweek magazine, R&R Partners maintains offices in Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Reno and Washington D.C. For more information, visit www.rrpartners.com