On 23 May, Pernod Ricard’s 18,000 employees, operating in 70 countries, launched initiatives to address a single issue: combating drink driving. Since 1971 with the foundation of IREB (French Institute of Scientific Research and Study on Drink), the Group has been committed to preventing risks associated with alcohol abuse. This awareness day, entitled ‘Responsib’ALL Day,’ is the outcome of 40 years of preventive measures organised in partnership with public authority partners. It is also the starting point for new initiatives, campaigns and events to be launched throughout the world, in line with the recommendations of the decade of action for road safety, announced on May 11 by the United Nations.

Every subsidiary is thus developing a range of actions, such as exhibitions about prevention and awareness campaigns worldwide, forums with local authorities and non-profit organisations responsible for road safety, as well as educational programs targeting Group employees and consumers, and more specifically young adults.

Examples of May 23 ‘Responsib’ALL Day’ highlights:

New Zealand: 320 staff attended an event at Eden Park Stadium, home of the Rugby World Cup 2011, where they launched an anti-drink-drive billboard campaign which will run during the Rugby World Cup.

Korea: Pernod Ricard partnered with the Smart Driving Foundation to launch a poster campaign competition. Local Pernod Ricard employees have been ‘tweeting’ all day long their commitments on Twitter.

Italy: trucks with ‘Don’t Drink & Drive’ banners circulated in the city of Milano, in parallel with a ‘Party & Taxi’ initiative, offering consumers buying bottles in store a 10 € taxi voucher.

Peru: Pernod Ricard employees climbed the Machu Picchu, carrying a ‘Don’t Drink & Drive’ banner and ran educational actions in the center of Cuzco.

Examples of Road Safety initiatives implemented by Pernod Ricard in the past 10 years include:

China: Pernod Ricard worked together with The Road Traffic Safety Association of China to develop a media campaign against drink driving.

Mexico: the Domecq Foundation launched a campaign entitled ‘O Tomas O Manejas’ (‘Either you drink, or you drive’) with a local actor Jaime Camil, very popular among young people. To that end, the Foundation partnered with public authorities, universities and non-profit organisations. More than 1,000 TV and radio commercials were broadcast and more than 87 million impacts were recorded.

UK: Pernod Ricard UK drew its inspiration from the US campaign ‘Accept Responsibility,’ of which combating drink driving was one of the action items. Pernod Ricard UK partnered with the AA (Automobile Association) for Christmas and the New Year 2010.