Drinkers told to know when to stop in Smirnoff spot

LONDON - Diageo is investing 拢500,000 in its first socially responsible drinking television advertising campaign, with a commercial delivered by Smirnoff that tells people 'knowing when to stop is a good thing'.

The spot, called "congratulations", was first shown in the US last year, and was created by J Walter Thompson New York, which probably explains why the two characters are called Hank and Cindy.

The ad opens on the couple enjoying a romantic meal at a restaurant. They are approached by a man who is an old friend of Hank's, who hears that they have just got engaged.

The man congratulates Hank and Cindy, and then starts reminiscing about the good ol' days at college, when Hank was a bit of a ladies' man. The conversation progresses and Cindy begins to look shocked, and the ad finishes with the line "Knowing when to stop is a good thing".

The ad is set to begin screening next week, with the 30-second spot showing on ITV, Channel 4, Five and satellite television. The ad is the first move in Diageo's responsible drinking initiative, which will also include information on its corporate website, displaying the alcohol units on the bottle and training its employees and agency partners on the marketing code.

Tony Mair, corporate affairs director of Diageo, said: "We believe that the launch of the new Smirnoff responsible drinking campaign marks a major step forward for the industry. We are seriously concerned about alcohol misuse and believe we have a role to play in educating consumers about how to drink responsibly."

Last week the drinks giant, which owns the Guinness, Gordon's Gin and Johnnie Walker brands, appointed Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO to work on its UK safe drinking initiative.

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