Underage Drinking Education Campaign

The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (LCB) selected our team at PPO&S to develop a statewide underage drinking education and awareness campaign targeting parents of kids ages 8–12. Pennsylvania was the first state in the nation to take on a drinking prevention initiative directed at this demographic. Because of this, research was a crucial first step in understanding our challenges and creating messaging that resonates with parents.

We partnered with The Center for Opinion Research at Franklin & Marshall College to conduct statewide surveys and focus groups that shed light on parents’ perspectives about underage drinking. Combined with secondary research, the insight we gained lead us to conclude that conversations with kids about alcohol needed to start as early as possible to increase their probability of making good decisions as they get older.

Campaign logo and color palette

After several rounds of concept development and message testing, we landed on the campaign name, Know When. Know How.^SM Our research found that parents felt uncomfortable with talking with their kids about alcohol prior to age 12. But since kids are exposed to alcohol every day in American culture — some even had their first sip by age 8 — Know When. Know How. became a call to action on all touchpoints, inviting parents and other guardians to learn the facts impacting their young kids and why experts recommend discussing the topic with them early and often.

The projects for Know When. Know How. included branding, a website, TV and radio commercials, digital and social media advertising, and other collateral to promote the campaign at events and at LCB’s Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores.

Shout-out to Hartman Benzon Media and Aumen Film Co for partnering with us to produce the stellar commercials shown here and to Churchill Strategies for making the Campaign Overview video come to life.

A set of HTML display ads.