This document summarizes research conducted on binge drinking among college students. The researchers found that while college students engage in heavy drinking, they reject the term "binge drinking." Through discussions with students, the researchers determined that the problem is drinking too much, which can lead to dangerous consequences. Cultural, social, and personal misperceptions cause students to drink too much. Younger students are more likely to drink to excess due to inexperience.

1. SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY
The NewHouse
THE NEWHOUSE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS

2. TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary
3 Research & Strategic Planning
12 TABLE OF CONTENTS Creative Brief
13 Creative
23 TABLE OF CONTENTS Media Plan
31
TABLE OF CONTENTS Campaign Evaluation
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS

3. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Jimmy —
I’m really proud of you for heading o to college next year. Since I’m about to graduate, I gured it might be
helpful to share some things I’ve learned.
Partying and drinking are a big part of college. I remember when Mom and Dad dropped me o — within a few
hours, I was having a beer with my new roommate. I met my best friends at parties that rst week of school.
My nal project in college is for a group called The Century Council. I was told to gure out a way to stop binge
drinking in college. At rst, I laughed. I didn’t think drinking in college was a problem. There’s always some new
organization that says “don’t do this!” or “don’t do that!” and they’re usually talking about things
that aren’t a big deal.
But then I thought about what I’ve learned about drinking in college. Mostly, I thought about what I learned from
my mistakes (and there were a quite few of them). I was really stupid sometimes. Do you remember that girl, Sherri,
who I dated for a little bit in high school? The one Mom always used to call ‘the daughter I never had’? Yeah . . .
I got really drunk one time and said some really mean stu . She still hasn’t gotten over it. Still really regret that.
Sometimes, the consequences stick with you for a while.
After way too many times of messing up, I realized that being that person just wasn’t fun. I was acting really stupid
for no real reason.
So thinking about this project . . . and what message I would’ve wanted to know in hindsight (since “don’t drink!”
was not going to cut it) I realized there was a pattern. All the times when I acted really stupid, I drank too much.
There were nights when my drinking took me from a good night to an embarrassing one, a night I wanted to
remember to one I desperately wanted to forget. And I realized it only took one drink to get me from A to B.
“
In my project, I’ve termed this The Stupid Drink.
Seriously, if there’s one thing that you get from this letter, it’s to avoid The Stupid Drink. The biggest regret of my decade as
Know your limit, and stay away from that one drink that takes you from drinking to drinking too much. President of this university is having to
You’ll know you’re there when you feel it. call nine sets of parents to inform them
I know that when I start to feel light-headed and stop hearing in my left ear, I’m usually about to pour my Stupid that their son or daughter had died as a
Drink. I just hang out for a while and see how the rest of the night goes. I know having that extra drink always puts result of alcohol abuse. No parent should
me over the edge. Not worth it.
“
ever have to get a call like that. Those
Your friends will drink from funnels, pass out, throw up, etc. It’s gross, I’m not gonna lie. I guarantee you’ll have way calls haunt me everyday of my life.
more fun in college if you avoid your Stupid Drink. - Daniel Sullivan, President,
One last thing . . . if you need more money, tell mom and dad you found a place to sell blood plasma. St. Lawrence University
They always send more money.
Have an awesome ride – you’ll love it.
Your favorite brother
Executive Summary // 2

4. RESEARCH AND PLANNING
RESEARCH AND PLANNING
RESEARCH AND PLANNING
RESEARCH AND PLANNING
RESEARCH AND PLANNING
RESEARCH AND PLANNING
RESEARCH AND PLANNING
RESEARCH AND PLANNING
RESEARCH AND PLANNING
RESEARCH AND PLANNING
RESEARCH AND PLANNING
RESEARCH AND PLANNING
RESEARCH AND PLANNING
2
RESEARCH AND PLANNING
RESEARCH AND PLANNING

5. WE BEGAN WITH OUR OWN STORIES,
BUT FOUND AN EVEN GREATER ONE
INITIAL STEPS
Looking around, we saw binge drinking everywhere at Syracuse University. We observed people drinking heavily
in bars, in the dorms and at theme parties. We even saw it in ourselves. We were de nitely not immune to the
problem. Syracuse has been portrayed as a party school many times before, but in 2005, former Syracuse student
Koren Zalickas wrote The New York Times Bestseller, “Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood”, rekindling the
discussion about college drinking.
We sat back and thought for a moment: if Syracuse students are binge drinking just as much as every other party
school in America, we might actually have a chance to understand the problem and gure out a way to solve it.
Trying to wrap our minds around the problem of binge drinking felt like we were tackling an overwhelmingly
huge social problem, like the American nancial crisis. We looked around the world for other people’s solutions.
Anything. Commercials, magazines, PSAs, books, public policy. Some things worked – some things failed miserably.
WE DID FIGURE OUT A FEW THINGS THAT WON’T WORK
AUTHORITARIAN They e ectively end the conversation before it begins.
(e.g. MADD, Above the In uence)
NOT TALKING TO UNDERAGE STUDENTS We cannot solve problematic drinking without talking to
everyone it a ects.
POKING FUN AT THE CONSEQUENCES Humor dilutes the seriousness of an issue that is already
not taken seriously.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
1.) Determine why a huge problem such as binge drinking hasn’t been solved yet on college campuses
2.) Understand the motivations causing potentially life-threatening behaviors by di erent college students
3.) Find a de nition of “dangerous over-consumption of alcohol” that everyone can agree upon
4.) Uncover a way to talk to college students about a topic that they are currently shutting out
OUR PRIMARY RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES
15 journals
1556 in-depth 75 expert documenting
surveys reaching interviews * 15 ethnogrophies: Deprivation Study
to expose the social sober and drunk
all 50 states observational,
video & photo pressures to drink weekends There are two stories being told;
on the weekends the one authorities are telling,
and the hidden one of college
* Dr. Kate Carey, Psychologist & binge drinking expert; Dr. Jackie Orr, Sociologist; Emergency Medical Technicians; Director students. This is the latter.
of Syracuse University Health Services; Director of Public Safety; Nancy Cantor, Syracuse University Chancellor & President;
Director of Judicial A airs; Director of Residence Life; University Counseling Center
Research and Planning // 4

6. STUDENTS DON’T BELIEVE THAT
BINGE DRINKING IS A PROBLEM
THE OFFICIAL DEFINITION OF BINGE DRINKING
Drinking alcohol that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to .08 or above, which corresponds to having ve
or more drinks (male) or 4 or more drinks (female) in about two hours.
COLLEGE STUDENTS AGREE THAT BINEG DRINKING IS NOT A PROBLEM
Within our agency, we have presidents of several organizations, a commencement speaker, Dean’s List scholars,
and community volunteers. But according to this o cial de nition we are all binge drinkers too. We started using
the term binge drinking in our research, but we were quickly met with resistence. 92% of college students
have rejected the term. It serves as the o cial de nition across most elds of research and policy.
But not in the eyes of students.
SO WE STARTING ASKING ABOUT “DRINKING TOO MUCH”
After college students rejected the problem of “binge drinking,” we switched modes.
We wanted to know what they had to say — we asked students what they saw as “problematic drinking.”
All of a sudden, there was a shift in the conversation — they immediately started spewing answers, such as:
“get in
a ght” “argue with “crazy text “death”
“throw up” “alcohol “crying” “falling
“blackout” my girlfriend” messages to
poisoning” down stairs”
ex-boyfriends”
“lose track of
“send drunk how much I drink” “stomach pumped
“unwanted “argue with at the hospital” “not having
texts” “DUI” hookups” my girlfriend” “acting like a good time”
an idiot”
WHEN WE HEARD THESE RESPONSES, WE FELT STUCK FOR TWO REASONS:
1) Students could agree that binge drinking isn’t the problem, but they couldn’t agree on what
the problem is. Almost everyone gave a di erent answer. Why weren’t we hearing one universal
de nition of “dangerous over-consumption of alcohol”?
I hate when people say my
2) We asked students to tell us their de nition of binge drinking, but they were only able to drinking gets out of hand when
describe consequences that happen after drinking too much. They couldn’t de ne what was
I throw up or say something
leading to these consequences.
I regret. But binge drinking isn’t
WE WERE ALMOST THERE. the problem. In fact, it’s hilarious.
BUT WE COULDN’T QUITE PUT OUR FINGER THE PROBLEM. - Male, 18
5 Research and Planning

7. THE PROBLEM IS DRINKING TOO MUCH
Every student mentioned consequences that happened when they “drank too much.” There was a hidden line
between “drinking” and “drinking too much.” Between being in control and out of control. Between a fun night and
a horrible, regrettable night. In fact, no matter how the two sides of the line are de ned,
the problem is crossing the line.
Once that line is crossed, anything can happen. Any of the dangerous consequences can occur. And that’s when
things quickly go wrong for so many college students.
THE PROBLEM IS CROSSING THE LINE BETWEEN:
DRINKING DRINKING TOO MUCH
HAPPY FACE SAD FACE
NO DRAMA DRAMA
IN CONTROL OUT OF CONTROL
FUN SLOPPY
CONFIDENT TOO CONFIDENT
DANGEROUS OVER CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL=CROSSING THE LINE BETWEEN “DRINKING” AND “DRINKING TOO MUCH”
There are definitely nights
when I’ve had too much to drink.
My friends have to tell me what I
did because I don’t remember.
- Female, 20
Research and Planning // 6

8. PEOPLE DRINK TOO MUCH — IT’S COLLEGE
WE WANTED TO FIND OUT WHY:
As we spoke to more and more students, it became clear that people drink for di erent reasons. Some people
drink to t in, while others drink to meet new people and still others drink just to have fun. Whatever the reason,
college students continue to drink. And “drink too much.” There are cultural, social and personal insights into why
college students continue to “drink too much.”
PERSONAL, SOCIAL & CULTURAL MISPERCEPTIONS CAUSE PEOPLE TO “DRINK TOO MUCH”
CULTURAL
SOCIAL
CULTURALLY, DRINKING IS FUN
PEER PRESSURE AND THINKING AND SIMPLY PART OF COLLEGE.
PERSONAL OTHER PEOPLE DRINK MORE
THAN THEY ACTUALLY DO
ENCOURAGE DRINKING. 63% agree that heavy drinking is
EXPERIENCING NEGATIVE expected of college students
CONSEQUENCES ARE STILL NOT “The rst time I went over my limit, it was
- Primary survey
A DETERRENT TO DRINKING. because of somebody else. I felt like I had
to keep drinking. Other people always
64% of students agree that
“Last Saturday, I woke up with a hangover in uence me to drink more.”
college is a time to behave in a way
and threw up all day. I started feeling - Male, 18
unacceptable outside of college.
better around dinner, so I went to my - Primary survey
friend’s party that night.” “…I made a drink and then my friends
- Female, 19 kept pouring more alcohol into my drink
“College equals drinking and
and I didn’t want it! But I nished it and
drinking equals college. This is what you
“The next week comes along and you wake made another.”
do for four years, then you grow up.”
up feeling ne…the memory of sick…it’s - Female, 20
- Male, 18
just in the past. I don’t really feel the pain I
was feeling then, in which case I just start 85% of binge drinkers think that most or
“Look we know that in college we
drinking again.” all of their friends binge drink.
probably drink too much. But that’s the
- Male, 20 - Primary survey
thing, its college...in comparison to other
college students we are normal drinkers.”
69% of students agree that knowing the “I think the reason everyone puts up
- Female, 20
negative e ects of binge drinking doesn’t pictures on Facebook is because
a ect whether they choose to binge drink. everyone else does. They want to know
- Primary survey they party the hardest and/or craziest.”
- Female, 18
Drinking in college is fun…
we wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t.
- Male, 19
7 Research and Planning

9. I DRINK, YOU DRINK, WE ALL DRINK
WE NOTICED DIFFERENCES IN ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOR BETWEEN UNDERCLASSMEN AND UPPERCLASSMEN
“I have felt the need
to reevaluate my
drinking behavior.” “When I rst started drinking, “Younger students are a
Freshmen: 31% agree we would meet up in my dorm sub-group of people who are
“The initial transition to a Seniors: 61% agree and chug a bunch of alcohol. But
residential college represents more prone to binge drinking.”
(primary survey) now, it’s going to a bar, and being Harvard University study,
the period of greatest risk for more responsible about it. I’m still “I have experienced
heavy drinking, with 80% of “I know my (Weitzman et al., 2003)
drinking limit.” drinking at that bar, but I’m not negative consequences
all students using alcohol, and going past my limit.” due to drinking too much.”
44% participating in binge Freshmen: 54% agree - Male, 20
drinking.” (SESSA, 2005) Seniors: 93% agree Freshmen: 63% agree
(primary survey) Seniors: 87% agree
(primary survey)
DEMOGRAPHIC DIFFERENCES
There are di erent experience levels when it comes to drinking in college. We need to speak to males and females
who are 17 – 22 years-old enrolled full-time in 2- or 4-year colleges. Although white students tend to experience THE BAD NEWS:
Students of every age pass their limit.
more negative consequences, race and ethnicity generally have little a ect on attitudes and behavior with regard
to drinking. Gender is not a di erentiator of awareness. Age is the most important di erence between targets —
generally, younger students do no understand what “too much” means compared to older students.
THE GOOD NEWS
They learn through experience.
NAIVE DRINKERS REGULAR DRINKERS EXPERIENCED DRINKERS THE CHALLENGE:
Make them learn faster.
FRESHMEN / SOPHOMORES SOPHOMORES / JUNIORS JUNIORS / SENIORS
The excitement and anticipation Through trial and error, students have They know what works for them and
of college makes young students experienced negative consequences they stick to it. This experienced drinker
eager to dive into the college party of drinking but are still testing their has learned over time how to avoid
scene. Alcohol acts as a perfect social limits. They have an established routine morning headaches and frequent
lubricant to ease the process of making and set of friends, and therefore feel blackouts. Unlimited freedom in o -
new friends in this new environment. less pressure to prove themselves with campus housing allows them to drink
The newfound freedom of college alcohol. These students are slowly leisurely and casually with a close group
makes heavy drinking acceptable. learning how to pace themselves, of friends. Although they still slip up on
but still don’t want to miss out on the occasion, they know they can drink and
DRINKING ATTITUDE: The Naive Drinker “college experience.” have fun without going overboard. Now that I’m a senior,
drinks to get drunk as fast as possible.
DRINKING ATTITUDE: The Regular Drinker DRINKING ATTITUDE: The Experienced
I’ve realized I can drink
drinks a lot to have a great time with Drinker values his/her time with friends without ending the night
close friends. and drinks to enjoy it more. with my head in the toilet.
- Female, 22
Research and Planning // 8

10. RIGHT NOW, THERE’S AN ISSUE
WITH MESSAGING
CURRENT MESSAGES TALK TO ONE EXTREME OR THE OTHER
Students hear two messages. “Drink!” and “Don’t drink!” They sort out messages about alcohol using these two
extremes — messages either support the idea of drinking in college, or try to persuade against it. College is placed
on a pedestal long before freshman year — drinking is seen as right of passage, and a very acceptable part of
college. Pop culture, such as Animal House, Old School and MTV Spring Break paint a very vivid picture of the college
environment and fuel the stereotype. Why wouldn’t people be excited for college?
Right now, college freshmen are only able to make this mental distinction:
“NOT DRINKING” “DRINKING”
TO BE EFFECTIVE, MESSAGES MUST RECOGNIZE REALITY
We need to get students thinking about “drinking” and “drinking too much.” And faster. They learn through trial
and error, so it takes two to three years to develop an understanding of what it actually means to “drink too much.”
What it feels like, looks like, smells like and sounds like. We cannot stand on the sidelines and simply accept that it
takes years to understand this distinction. We realized that communicating this distinction would get students to
progress to Experienced Drinkers in a quicker and safer way.
We need to help students make this further distinction.
“
When I see a poster telling
“DRINKING me that I shouldn’t be
“DRINKING”
TOO MUCH” drinking in college, I just laugh.
Obviously, anyone “normal”
is going to drink in college.
- Male, 18
9 Research and Planning

11. OUR STRATEGY SPRINGS
FROM A SIMPLE TRUTH
SIMPLE TRUTH: TO YOURSELF:
Every college student becomes aware TO YOURSELF: (THE NEXT DAY)
of what it means to “drink too much.” TO A YOUNGER
(THAT NIGHT) “Well, that
SIBLING:
“Do I look was stupid.”
OBJECTIVE: “Don’t be stupid.”
that stupid?”
Have students talk about the line between
“drinking” and “drinking too much” in a way ABOUT OTHERS: TO A FRIEND:
that is meaningful to them. “She looks so stupid!” “You’re acting stupid.”
STRATEGY:
Identify and stigmatize the one drink that
separates enjoyable drinking and the negative
consequences that occur from “drinking too STRATEGY
much.” This is The Stupid Drink. The Stupid Drink
THE STUPID DRINK DEFINED:
The stupid drink is the one drink between
“drinking” and “drinking too much,” in control
and out of control, good times and regrets,
great memories and no memories. For some
it’s a feeling, for some it’s a number, for some
it’s a type of alcohol.
WE TESTED THE IDEA WITH COLLEGE STUDENTS
Before we moved forward, we wanted to see how this resonated with college students.
If the idea didn’t click immediately, it would never work.
But it did click. And beautifully.
“It takes the blame o me or my “I’ve never thought about a “The Stupid Drink. It’s so di erent! It’s
friends. It’s that one drink’s fault. speci c drink like that. But it a message about drinking that I can
That’s so true!” -Female, 21 totally makes sense!” - Male, 18 actually use.” - Female, 19
There’s always that one
drink — that one shot that I wish
I didn’t have. It always makes
The Stupid Drink is grounded in actual experience.
Everyone gets it — it’s universal. things go downhill. Always.
- Male, 21
Research and Planning // 10

12. THE STUPID DRINK WILL MAKE
MEANINGFUL CHANGES COMMUNICATION OBJECTIVES
LOOKING FORWARD, WE WILL MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE We will be including a long-term tracking
We’re not forcing a new message upon college students — we’re giving them a way to talk about a message they study for the campaign in order to
hear everyday. In themselves, in their friends, and in pop culture. That’s more than any other piece of communication standardize metrics and measure the
has done so far. By speeding up the time it takes for students to learn what “too much” means, students have a way to following objectives:
experience drinking in a safe way. The occurrence of every negative consequence will decrease.
REDUCE DANGEROUS BEHAVIOR
TALKING TO UNDERAGE DRINKERS IS CRITICAL
Reduce the percentage of students who
Before we even started our research, we noticed that there was a huge segment of people being overlooked: those
report having experienced negative
college students who are 18- to 20-years-old. Once they’ve decided that they are going to drink in college, any message
consequences by 20% in year one;
that alludes to “not drinking” will not resonate with them. They’ve been told that such behavior is “illegal,” so they shut
measured nationally, campus-wide,
out those messages. They stop listening.
and individually.
But we need to talk to these people. In doing so, we are not condoning or vilifying underage drinking. It is a fact of life
that college students who are underage participate in drinking behaviors. We are communicating to the behavior of INCREASE AWARENESS OF
drinking, rather than a group of people who are drinking. There is a very clear distinction between these two ideas — “DRINKING TOO MUCH”
the former is a necessary step. We need to focus on solving the problem in a real way. Not just in a politically correct way. Increase the percentage of students who
are able to recognize their line to 25%
OUR POSITIONING in year one, 50% in year two, and 75% in
The Stupid Drink is something very small that will make a huge di erence. We need to develop a communication year three.
campaign that brings this idea to college students across the country. Looking forward, this three-year campaign will
get people talking about what it truly means to pass the line from “drinking” to “drinking too much” in order to reduce GET STUDENTS TALKING
premature deaths, hospital visits and a long list of other unnecessary consequences that occur on college campuses. ABOUT THE STUPID DRINK
Introduce The Stupid Drink as the way
for peers to discuss problematic drinking
and what their line is, and have 40%
awareness of The Stupid Drink among all
college students in year one.
Looking back, when I
was a freshman, I wish I
would’ve known how to drink.
- Male, 22
1 Research and Planning
1

13. CREATIVE BRIEF
WHY ARE WE COMMUNICATING?
Students will admit that drinking in college can be a problem, but cannot agree on what that problem is. When
asked what “drinking too much” means, students listed a laundry list of negative consequences. But the problem
is the passing of that line, that point, or that drink where “drinking” becomes “drinking too much.” It’s The Stupid
Drink. Students either don’t know it exists or simply don’t have a way to identify it. This must change. Students
need to know about this thing called The Stupid Drink: the single drink that accelerates consumption, that puts
them over the line, that takes them from drinking to drinking too much.
WHAT DO WE WANT THE COMMUNICATION TO DO?
Create broad awareness and understanding of The Stupid Drink among college students.
Help them recognize and avoid it in order to reduce the long list of negative consequences of drinking too much.
WHO IS OUR AUDIENCE?
NAIVE DRINKERS
The Naive Drinker drinks to get drunk as fast as possible.
REGULAR DRINKERS
The Regular Drinker drinks a lot to have a great time with close friends.
EXPERIENCED DRINKERS
The Experienced Drinker values his/her time with friends and drinks to enjoy it more.
WHAT DO THEY CURRENTLY THINK?
“There’s drinking and not drinking. College equals drinking and drinking equals college.
This is what you do for four years, and then you grow up.”
WHAT WOULD WE LIKE THEM TO THINK?
“Drinking is part of college. Everyone has his/her own limit.
It’s nding that limit before you blackout or get sick that’s important.”
WHAT IS THE BIG IDEA?
The Stupid Drink is the one drink that takes you from “drinking” to “drinking too much.”
HOW DO WE MAKE IT BELIEVABLE?
The Stupid Drink allows students to identify and avoid that point where things take a turn for the worse.
WHAT TONE SHOULD BE USED?
There should be an informal and conversational tone — not authoritarian or confrontational.
Research and Planning // 12

14. CREATIVE
CREATIVE
CREATIVE
CREATIVE
CREATIVE
CREATIVE
CREATIVE
CREATIVE
CREATIVE
CREATIVE
CREATIVE
CREATIVE
CREATIVE
CREATIVE
CREATIVE
13

15. OVERVIEW
We designed the concept of The Stupid Drink to be an informal way of talking about a very serious issue. It is
purposefully designed to ease discussion between students and their peers, parents, and others around them who
would normally shy away from such awkward confrontations about drinking culture.
To propel the concept of The Stupid Drink into mainstream culture, we needed a unique voice. This voice would
have to de ne and educate about The Stupid Drink, without falling prey to the creative land mines we laid down
in our strategy. This voice had to be informal enough to connect with college students, yet carry enough weight to
have some authority in talking to them about The Stupid Drink.
We present The Drinking Institute.
It is a faux scienti c research center, populated by college seniors and recent grads. As experienced drinkers,
who seem to have been born knowing their drinking limit, they have taken it upon themselves to research why
people act so stupid when they drink. They are especially mysti ed and intrigued by freshmen behavior. After
devoting years of research to the subject, they have nally identi ed The Stupid Drink as the cause of gross over-
consumption of alcohol on college campuses.
The Drinking Institute is the voice of our campaign. It avoids the problems inherent in authoritative voices by
placing the expertise in the hands of peers. The concept of a scienti c institute devoted solely to the study and
experimentation of alcohol on other people is ludicrous enough to get students’ attention, yet done with a straight
face so as to preserve the seriousness of dangerous drinking behavior.
College students de ne their drinking experience socially. So, the Institute must speak to them in the same
way, describing the symptoms of approaching their limits in social terms, rather than the qualitative, numerical
de nitions that have consistently failed to have an impact in the past. These symptoms of The Stupid Drink, or
“Symptoms of Stupid” for short, are our way of phrasing the social indicators of a bad night in the same informal,
but serious way.
Creative // 14

16. NON-TRADITIONAL
WEB SITE
Visitors will be invited to interactively explore the halls of The Institute. TV spots and viral videos will be showcased.
Visitors will be able to perform experiments on test subjects to learn about the e ects of The Stupid Drink.
“Symptoms of Stupid” party games can be downloaded in print-form for free. The Web site will also serve as the
central hub for the upcoming online promotional event.
ONLINE PIX MESSAGING APPLICATION
On the Web site, students can request to have
picture message “Symptoms of Stupid” sent to
their cell phones. If a friend has been displaying
symptoms, students can Pix Message their friend
with the corresponding photo.
TWITTER
Students can follow updates from The Drinking
Institute’s sta . The Twitter pro le will continually
update company news and faux experimental
breakthroughs to engage the online college
community.
15 Creative

17. NON-TRADITIONAL
FACEBOOK APPLICATION
Adding the “Symptoms of Stupid” Application on Facebook will give users the
option to tag their friends in photos as having the various symptoms. It is a more
entertaining way of pointing out a friend’s Stupid Drink. Select symptoms like
“Handsy Friend” will be available to discourage glorifying being past their limit.
VIRAL VIDEO
Education of The Stupid Drink and The Drinking
Institute will get an entertaining promotion by
none other than Bill Nye the Science Guy. Bill
Nye serves as the perfect addition to the voice
of The Drinking Institute. The current college
demographic grew up on his brand of teaching
science in weird and fascinating ways, allowing us
to educate students on the e ects and chemistry
of alcohol without feeling forced or preachy. A
few months after the viral video launches, an
online contest will be held and the winner will
be featured as Bill Nye’s assistant in the next viral
video.
Creative // 16

18. NON-TRADITIONAL
BAR STAMPS
Monotone versions of The Stupid Drink and The Drinking Institute logo will
be turned into bar stamps to keep students constantly aware of their limits
throughout the night and the next morning.
BAR/CAMPUS AMBIENT
Objects around campus and in bars will call out ambient “Symptoms of Stupid.”
Bar and dorm mirrors will be blurred to simulate blurred vision. Bar tabs with The
Stupid Drink ordered will be left on tables. Sidewalk clings will call attention to
normal objects in the environment that become hazards when a person has had
too much to drink, such as low-hanging branches, curbs, and staircases.
COASTERS
Bar coasters with 50 di erent colorful Stupid Drink de nitions ensures that students
will nd a de nition that resonates with them. Also, students can collect and save
their favorite coasters.
THE DR THE DR THE DR
INK INK INK
THE THE THE IN
G
IN
G
IN
G
STU ID STU ID STU ID
IN
IN
IN
ST
ST
ST
P
P
P
IT
IT
IT
P
P
P
DRINK
UTE
UTE
UTE
DRINK DRINK
THE LINE BETWEEN THE DRINK BETWEEN THE QUICKEST WAY
OM
OM
OM
DRINKING AND
E.C
E.C
E.C
"I'M GOOD, I'M GOOD" FROM COOL TO FOOL
DRINKING TOO MUCH
UT
UT
UT
AND "MY BAD" TI
T
TI
T
TI
T
INS G INS G INS G
DRINKIN DRINKIN DRINKIN
17 Creative

19. NON-TRADITIONAL
DECKS OF CARDS
Drinking Institute Poker Cards will be distributed to Resident Assistants to place in student lounges. The cards will
also be distributed to bar owners to place on tables. The cards serve as an activity to bring students together.
BEWARE OF THE J KIOSK INSERT/ CARDBOARD STANDUPS
O
STUPID K
DRINK E Located in student centers in colleges across the
R
country, the kiosk inserts will mimic the coasters and
billboards to reinforce the de nition of The Stupid
Drink and drive tra c to the Web site. Cardboard
cut-outs of Institute scientists will urge students to
R
E
identify their Stupid Drink.
K
O
J
DRINKING INSTITUTE.COM
BATHROOM STICKERS
SYMPTOMS OF STU ID
P
P
Small banners identifying The Symptoms of Stupid POSTERS
PHANTOM CONFIDENCE
The Drinking Institute will o er $3 promotional
will be stuck to bathroom stall doors to give students REGRETTABLE TEXTING
posters at early semester poster sales. Modestly-
something informative and humorous to read. LOSS OF POSSESSIONS
DISTORTED PERCEPTION OF HOTNESS priced to appear as a great deal, Freshmen eager
INAPPROPRIATE EMOTIONAL RESPONSES to pimp out their new dorm rooms will be more
SLURRED SPEECH likely to have a favorable opinion of The Institute
TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE IDEAS
than they would if the poster was free and “forced”.
EXCESSIVE URINATION
VERBALLY ABUSING A STRANGER The pro ts of the poster sale will go towards each
SYMPTOMS OF STU ID NODDING OFF WHILE STANDING university for funding various initiatives,
P
such as judicial a airs or substance abuse
PHANTOM CONFIDENCE
REGRETTABLE TEXTING
LOSS OF POSSESSIONS
DRINK MISSING YOUR MOUTH
DISTORTED PERCEPTION OF HOTNESS
INAPPROPRIATE EMOTIONAL RESPONSES
SLURRED SPEECH
DANCING LIKE "PRO" counseling programs.
TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE IDEAS
EXCESSIVE URINATION
VERBALLY ABUSING A STRANGER
DULLED THOUGHT PROCESS
NODDING OFF WHILE STANDING
DRINK MISSING YOUR MOUTH PERSONAL SPACE INVASION
DANCING LIKE "PRO"
DULLED THOUGHT PROCESS
PERSONAL SPACE INVASION
IF YOU OR YOUR FRIENDS EXHIBITS MULTIPLE SYMPTOMS,
IF YOU OR YOUR FRIENDS EXHIBITS MULTIPLE SYMPTOMS,
YOU ARE DANGEROUSLY APPROACHING YOUR STUPID DRINK.
YOU ARE DANGEROUSLY APPROACHING YOUR STUPID DRINK.
THIS HAS BEEN AN
OFFICIAL MESSAGE FROM THE DRINKING INSTITUTE . COM
THIS HAS BEEN AN
OFFICIAL MESSAGE FROM THE DRINKING INSTITUTE . COM
Creative Executions // 18

20. DIRECT The Drinking Institute
123 Hop Avenue, 5th Floor
Death Valley, CA 92328
POSTCARDS Dear Student,
A month before students go to college, they will receive an urgent postcard from the Institute warning of their new We write to inform you of a groundbreaking
discovery. For years, our mission at The Drinking
In replication trials, identification of this drink and the
decision not to consume it have positively influenced
discovery of The Stupid Drink. The postcards will serve as an introduction to The Stupid Drink and a teaser for Institute has been to pinpoint the reason that college
students suffer from periods of uncontrolled alcohol
the lives of study participants, their social lives and
grade point averages.
consumption. After extensive testing and research,
The Drinking Institute. we are issuing the following warning: For questions or concerns pertaining to THE STUPID
DRINK, please visit us online at DrinkingInstitute.com.
There is a drink that exists between drinking and
drinking too much. It is called THE STUPID DRINK. THE
This single drink is the last one that can be refused— DRINKING
the one that leads to the ones that you later regret. INSTITUTE
IT SHOULD BE AVOIDED AT ALL COSTS. .COM
ID
OF HUTS U
P
P
PROMOTIONS OMS
SYMPTRTY SCAVENGER
NT
LOSS OF
PA L
VERBA A AGE
BEVER
OF OL
BEER ABUSE CONTR
CALLY ES STRANGER
CHRONI NCE GOGGL
LY LA
EVENT MARKETING ON QUADS REAL A OFF-BA Y
E GLASS
BAD ID BAD EYES
DRUNK IDEA
Two Institute scientists will run a booth on quads, challenging students to sink a shot ED "HAND
SY"
D
TEXTS
SLURR FRIEN OM
PHANT CE
on a Beer Pong table with 10 cups. Participants can take 30-seconds out of their walk to SPEECH
DRUNK
LS
IDEN
CONF
SQUEA
classes in a shoot-’til-you-miss challenge. Nine of the cups will correspond to di erent LOST
KEY
LE FRIEND
-
OVERNESS
LI
UNCONT
ROLL-
ARTICHING ABLE
promotional prizes, such as t-shirts, party games, personalize-able Solo cups, and OF CL
OT
PRIATE NODDIN
G
EMO
DRUNK
GIGGLIN
G
INAPPR
NAL OFF
more. But hit The Stupid Drink in the middle and it’s game over. A banner, similar to the DRUNK
EMOTIO SE
O RESPON OOT
BAREF IC
KLEPT S*** BL
IN PU
stadium billboards, will accompany the booth to warn those who don’t have the time to D E
IVE
XCESS N EATIN
GRIN
G
SAUCE G URINATIO
NG
participate in The Stupid Drink challenge. DANCI
ALONE
SQUIN
T IN
E NIGH
T :
OF TH
DRUNK
STUPID
OF
MENT
EXPERI STITUTE
FICIAL IN
AN OF E DRINKING
TH
M
TE . CO
PARTY ACTIVITIES DRINK
ING IN
STITU
BINGO games will be given out to participants in the events on campus quads,
which friends can play at parties or in bars to spot the Symptoms of Stupid. This
serves to further identify The Stupid Drink, as well as call out party-goers who don’t
know their limit.
19 Creative

21. TRADITIONAL
BILLBOARD
The Drinking Institute understands that students
THE
ignore textbook or technical de nitions when
it comes to PSAs. Billboards in college stadiums
STU ID DRINK
P
P
will feature colorful, engaging de nitions of The
Stupid Drink. Twice during the season, students
will be challenged to text their own Stupid
Drink de nitions. The best will become the next
THE PASSPORT TO IDIOCY
billboard in the series, and those who participate DRINKING INSTITUTE . COM
will receive a one-time follow-up text message
from The Institute, thanking them for playing and
encouraging them to visit the Web site.
CAMPUS NEWSPAPERS
The Institute will continue to publish its ndings in
half-page adverts in college newspapers, de ning
The Stupid Drink and urging students to avoid it in
mock-press-release fashion.
Creative // 20

22. TRADITIONAL CABLE
Our lead scientist brings viewers on an introductory tour of
The Institute and talks about their discovery of The Stupid Drink.
(Double doors open. Our Head Scientist “...Extreme inebriation.” (Various shots of one ‘tipsy’ test subject “...Has identi ed the problem.”
begins walking down a long hallway.) hitting a ‘beer dispenser’ button.)
(Through a one-way window, a quick cut (Fist slams button. It ashes green and
“Welcome to the Drinking Institute” of a visibly drunk girl attempting to irt “Meticulous research...” dispenses a drink in his cup.)
with a lab technician, who is trying to
(A lab technician with a hand truck of take notes.) SFX: Ding!
various alcoholic beverages passes in SFX: Cup Filling.
front of the camera.)
“Here, our Senior sta has been
experimenting for years on the cause of...”
“We call it...” “...The Stupid Drink.” “It’s the drink between drinking...” “...And drinking too much.” (Close-up of the Head
Scientist.)
(One visibly ‘wobbly’ test SFX: Hand presses button. (Another window shows test (The Head Scientist
subject hits the button for subjects giving cheers and passes another window “Help us end this Epidemic
another beer, and ‘The Stupid (Box buzzes and ashes enjoying themselves.) with a test subject of Stupidity. Avoid your
Drink’ light ashes.) “Stupid”.) throwing up in a toilet.) Stupid Drink.”
“...Stupid...” (Final shot of The Drinking
Institute logo.)
21 Creative

23. PR & PUBLICITY
“COLLEGE DRINKING SOLUTIONS” WEB SITE
College administrators and parents are one-step removed from students, and provide an essential support structure.
Currently, there is no way for college administrators and parents to come together and share
information on promoting responsible drinking. In order to encourage dialogue on responsible drinking,
www.collegedrinkingsolutions.com will be established. The site will have two portions, one for college administrators
and one for parents.
“The Stupid Drink” messaging will be built into the site to promote discussion about the campaign and encourage
universities and parents to share their personal campaign results. This will also help the Century Council in its research
e orts.
Administrators and parents will be encouraged to participate in the Web site via an electronic press release.
For college administrators:
Administrators can create a searchable pro le for their university that discusses their individual problem, current
solutions and research. Graph-building capabilities will allow quanti able information to be displayed easily. This will
also allow for trends to be tracked from school to school.
University administrators can search how other schools are approaching the problem, as well as communicate with
each other via a message board and blog. Also, a monthly e-mail will be sent to all participants with updates on how
other schools are approaching the problem.
For parents:
This section of the Web site will have information on what to expect while your child is in college. There will also be
information on how to be helpful to your children and talk to them before/when problems arise. Parents can also click
to the administrators’ portion of the Web site to see how individual colleges are tackling the problem.
PRESS RELEASES
A campaign kick-o press release will be sent to PR Newswire, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Center for
Disease Control, The O ce of the First Lady, and congressional leaders who are involved in the issue of alcohol abuse.
Also, a customizable press release will be created for each participating school. These press releases will be sent to
local publications to create community buzz about and support for the campaign.
URBAN DICTIONARY & WIKIPEDIA ENTRIES
In order to promote usage of “The Stupid Drink” in everyday language, an entry in urbandictionary.com will be created.
This is a Web site of “underground” language and is entirely user-generated. A Wikipedia article will be created for the
same purpose.
Creative // 22

24. MEDIA PLAN
MEDIA PLAN
MEDIA PLAN
MEDIA PLAN
MEDIA PLAN
MEDIA PLAN
MEDIA PLAN
MEDIA PLAN
MEDIA PLAN
MEDIA PLAN
MEDIA PLAN
MEDIA PLAN
MEDIA PLAN
MEDIA PLAN
MEDIA PLAN
23

25. OVERVIEW
College students love their cell phones. And their laptops. And socializing, both online and o . So any campaign that
will resonate with them will be integrated across all of these elements.
We developed a $10 million media plan that heavily emphasizes e-Branding and non-traditional elements that reach
students when they are with their friends: bars, dorms, the student center and on the quad.
The campaign has a total of 16 nontraditional placements.
The Stupid Drink campaign will be spread across 967 campuses, which comprise 7.5 million of the 10.2 million U.S. col-
lege students. The campaign will achieve a maximum reach of 70% and a frequency of three on the
target campuses.
The campaign will be strengthened through local partnerships with university and community members.
These partnerships help strengthen the environment that students call home for four years.
Media Plan // 24

26. MEDIA STRATEGY
NON TRADITIONAL TRADITIONAL
DORM BATHROOM STICKERS BAR BATHROOM MIRRORS CAMPUS NEWSPAPERS
Unique blend of reach and frequency to deliver Reach students when they’re out drinking 77% of college students read their campus
an isolated message newspaper at least once a month
Allows for a moment of re ection VIRAL VIDEOS Campus-based communication
Provides peer-based recommendation
POSTER FOR SALE STADIUM BILLBOARD
Purchasing posters allows students to “own WEB SITE & MOBILE SITE Encourages ownership of message
the message” and hang it on their walls year round College students spend a daily average of
3-5 hours online CABLE
CARDBOARD STAND-UP 70% of college students have smart phones; College students spend an average
Located in high-tra c student center mobile version of site allows for better navigation of 10.6 hours a week watching TV
Out-of the ordinary; will grab attention Late-fringe spots will be placed on:
FACEBOOK APPLICATION
KIOSK INSERT 80 % of college students use Facebook Channel Index Shows
Information-seeking medium Adds a social media element to a MTV 316 The Hills, Fantasy Factory
Not typical “advertising” medium; typically peer-based campaign VH1 242 America’s Next Top Model, Fabulous Life of...
used for campus events
Adult Swim 360 Family Guy, Aqua Teen Hunger Force
ONLINE PICTURE Comedy Central 180 Daily Show, South Park
SIDEWALK CLING MESSAGING APPLICATION ESPN 123 SportsCenter, Pardon the Interruption
College campuses have high foot tra c 96% of college students have cell phones
Communicates to students while walking Base: 18-24 year-old full-time college students
Drives web-based tra c and peer-to-peer
to class or nightly activities viral engagement
DIRECT
DECKS OF CARDS TWITTER
Provides a talking point for students while Growing social networking tool
POSTCARDS
hanging out Reach students when eagerly awaiting arrival on campus
Opt-in feature invites messaging
BAR STAMPS COASTERS
Serves as a reminder while out drinking and Reach students when they’re already drinking
the following morning by communicating via part of the bar environment
Gains credibility because distributed by bars
SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION
Over 90% of Web sites are launched
through search
Directs tra c to Web site
25 Media Plan

27. MAXIMIZING REACH:THE TWO TIERS
The use of a two-tier system allows the $10
million budget to be stretched across as many
universities as possible. The two-tier system also
ensures that the universities with the biggest
drinking problem receive the most emphasis. TIER 1
CREATIVE
Universities that participate in this tier
will receive all creative executions. TIER 2
PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS
This tier is comprised of 20 universities* CREATIVE
that are most at-risk for dangerous Universities that participate in this tier
drinking. The list was compiled based on will receive everything in Tier 1 except
the most frequently listed schools across for the campus newspaper ads, stadium
four rankings: billboard/jumbotron, cable spots and
quad event.
The Princeton Review’s Party Schools
The Princeton Review’s Lots of Hard Liquor
The Princeton Review’s Lots of Beer PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS
Playboy’s Party Schools There are 967 universities in this tier. The
universities were selected from three
groups, minus any overlap from Tier 1:
TOTAL ENROLLMENT:
500,000 Universities involved in the Amethyst
Initiative, a petition signed by university
presidents to begin a discussion about
drinking in college
The Princeton Review’s Best 368 colleges
The 20 biggest party schools from Tier 1
were heavily skewed across the following
three factors: very large (10000+ students),
East Central geography and Southeast
* Arizona State University, DePauw University, Florida State geography. We used U.S. News to compile
University, Indiana University Bloomington, Iowa State, Ohio a list of schools that meet these criteria.
University, Penn State, Randolph Macon College, Tulane University,
University of Colorado Boulder, University of California Santa
Barbara, University of Georgia, University of New Hampshire, TOTAL ENROLLMENT:
University of Florida, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 7,000,00
University of Mississippi, University of Tennessee, University of Texas
Austin, West Virginia University, University of Wisconsin Madison
Media Plan // 26