J. Wray and Nephew announces latest Responsible Drinking Campaign

J. Wray & Nephew Limited (JWN) on Friday announced its 2023 responsible drinking campaign, ‘Party Proppa’. The campaign, which occurs bi-annually is one tool in the company’s arsenal for encouraging the responsible consumption of alcohol by persons over the legal drinking age.

In a statement, JWN said that, as responsible corporate citizens, it was joining forces with key stakeholders and institutional partners to implement responsible

practices to safeguard consumers.

The Party Proppa campaign encourages responsible drinking by educating individuals so they can make informed choices about their alcohol consumption. The company said it was committed to playing an active role in minimising alcohol-related harm in Jamaica and believes that education and awareness are key to achieving this goal.

According to the WHO Global Status Report, 2018, heavy episodic drinking (HED) has fallen by more than seven per cent in the Americas between 2010 and 2016, and nearly five per cent globally.

“Not only is the prevalence of current drinkers going down in some parts of the world, but, even among those who continue to drink, the prevalence of individuals drinking in heavy drinking sessions is decreasing,” states the report.

Based on a more recent study on the World population review on ‘Alcohol by Consumption by Country in 2023’, Jamaica has one of the lowest alcohol consumptions in the Americas and in the Caribbean at 4.16 litres of pure alcohol per capita.

PROUD

“We are proud of the progress that we have made, and we are very encouraged by the findings of the WHO Global Health Report,” shared Tanikie McClarthy Allen, JWN’s senior public affairs and sustainability director. “We recognise that the work doesn’t stop here, and this campaign is another step into the right direction to self-regulate by players in the spirits industry. With the reopening of the entertainment industry, we decided to take the messaging outside and to reinforce the safe practices. This year we started with teasers at Reggae Sumfest and Dream Weekend, two of summer’s biggest parties.

“We will continue with an energised campaign via our digital channels and for the first time, JWN will be taking our responsible drinking campaign

directly to the trade.”

The ‘Proppa Vibes’ campaign will utilise the reach of key influencers, with strong followings on social media, to appeal to a wide cross section of consumers of alcoholic beverages with a particular emphasis on young adult drinkers. It will also feature a campaign anthem by popular artiste La Lee.

Demonstrating its commitment to responsible drinking, JWN has gone beyond its bi-annual campaign, and implemented several initiatives. Between 2020-2022, JWN completed label updates on 57 product lines (SKUs); made available nutritional information on Campari Group info website in 2022 https://www.camparigroup.info/; trained staff and partners on Responsible Marketing & Advertising Practices with a specific focus on the Jamaican situation; rev ised its internal Code on Commercial Communication and introduced stricter contractual clauses to address alcohol consumption for sponsored events.

Larry Watson, president of the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce, lauded JWN and the other industry members for taking yet another bold step.

“This campaign aims to create a culture of responsible drinking by shaping people’s attitudes towards alcohol in a way that is respected. It does this by showing that moderate consumption can support a well-balanced lifestyle.”

Clement ‘Jimmy’ Lawrence, chairman of the Spirits Pool Association, also expressed his enthusiasm for the ‘Party Proppa’ campaign, stating, “We believe that responsible drinking is a shared responsibility. Through the ‘Party Proppa’ campaign, we aim to foster a culture of moderation and empower individuals to make responsible choices about their alcohol-consumption. We are proud to collaborate with all alcohol stakeholders in Jamaica and work together towards a healthier future. This campaign by JWN is another step into the right direction to adequately arm our consumers with the tools to make informed decisions.”