Grumpy Gorilla helps promote free NYE travel

Drinks giant Diageo has launched a “Grumpy Gorilla” poster to publicise its sponsorship of free travel home on New Year’s Eve in both London and Edinburgh.

The poster has been designed to remind consumers to monitor and modify their drinking habits during the festive period.

In London, Diageo is partnering with Transport for London (TfL) for the third year running, to promote responsible drinking over the festive season. As part of the campaign, TFL will be offering free travel home on all bus, tube, tram, DLR and London Overground services on New Year’s Eve. In Edinburgh, Diageo also sponsors Lothian Buses to provide free bus travel on Hogmanay for the revellers making their way home from the city centre celebrations.

Mark Baird, Head of Industry Affairs & Alcohol Policy at Diageo, says: “We hope that ‘Grumpy Gorilla’ will grab people’s attention this Christmas and remind people that they will have a much better time if they drink sensibly. We want everyone to have a safe and enjoyable Christmas and New Year.”

The advert also includes the hashtag #thinkhowyoudrink, which links to Diageo’s ‘Think How You Drink’ campaign that launched earlier this year.

Mark Reddick, executive creative director at creative agency TMW, added: “Responsible drinking is a serious subject and our challenge was to communicate this message in a way that would really resonate with our target audience. We decided to introduce an element of humour to the campaign, which we hope will grab young adults’ attention and encourage them to drink responsibly.”