Observed Signal · Jul 8, 2026 · Opinion/Analysis · Source: The Drum · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
No-and-low drinks can revive character-led booze ads
Opinion by Sian Conway-Wood argues that the heritage of character-driven alcohol advertising (e.g., The Famous Grouse, Budweiser frogs, Guinness ‘Surfer’) demonstrates the commercial value of distinctive, emotional creative assets. She notes the 2005 advertising-code revisions curtailed much of that creative space for alcoholic products by banning links to social/sexual success and material with strong appeal to under-18s. However, no-and-low alcohol drinks (around or below 0.5% ABV) largely fall outside those constraints, giving them a fresh creative opportunity that legacy brands have not capitalized on. Citing System1 / Peter Field / Adam Morgan research on the “cost of dull” advertising, Conway-Wood says interesting, fame-driven campaigns deliver far greater share growth than emotionally neutral ones. The piece urges no-and-low founders and CMOs to embrace character, craft and memorable assets rather than the current “wellness beige” aesthetic.
Highlights creative and regulatory opportunity in the growing no-and-low drinks category and cites quantified research on creative effectiveness — useful for brand, agency and media strategy but not a platform-level or regulatory breaking change.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- The Famous Grouse’s animated bird campaign first ran in the mid-1990s and has remained on air for decades.
- The 2005 revision of the UK advertising codes banned linking alcohol to social or sexual success and prohibited advertising with strong appeal to under-18s.
- System1 / Peter Field / Adam Morgan research ('Extraordinary Cost of Dull') finds that dull campaigns need roughly 2.6x the media spend of interesting ones to achieve similar market-share growth, and interesting 'fame' campaigns generate ~6.1x more share growth.
- Sian Conway-Wood argues drinks at or below 0.5% ABV (no-and-low) largely sit outside the advertising rules that constrain alcoholic parent brands, affording greater creative freedom.
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2 Entities mapped“System1, Peter Field and Adam Morgan’s ‘Extraordinary Cost of Dull’ research put a price on abandoning that approach: a dull campaign... nee...”
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Festivals Elevate 0% Alcohol Brands
An opinion piece by Olivia Collier of Verve The Live Agency argues festivals are prime environments for low- and no-alcohol brands to create inclusive, memorable 'hero' moments. The article cites Drinkaware research that nearly half (49%) of young adults now choose no/low-alcohol drinks, and references an internal research claim that 70% of live-music fans want a wider selection of non-alcoholic options. It highlights Diageo's standalone 'House of Zero' festival activation as an example of how non-alc products can be showcased alongside regular ranges to drive trial and inclusion.
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