Alcoholics Anonymous Innovates with Unique Billboard Campaign

Introduction

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) has launched its first nationwide advertising campaign in the UK, facing the challenge of promoting an organization based on anonymity. This campaign stands out by omitting logos, phone numbers, links, and in some cases, even any mention of alcohol.

Outdoor Advertising Campaign

Campaign Focus

Since its inception in the 1930s, Alcoholics Anonymous has adhered to the principle of "attraction rather than promotion." This imposes many restrictions on what the organization can say about itself, where it can advertise, and how it interacts with the media. The organization's sole purpose is "Alcoholics Anonymous is solely concerned with the recovery and continued sobriety of individual alcoholics who seek our help."

Collaboration with JCDecaux and The Raised Eyebrow Society

The digital out-of-home advertising (DOOH) campaign arose when media owner JCDecaux approached Alcoholics Anonymous as part of its charitable initiative, providing free advertising space to charities. JCDecaux then enlisted The Raised Eyebrow Society to create the ads.

Pete Cain, co-founder and creative director of The Raised Eyebrow Society, explains that removing the logo was a "major challenge," but they believe the target audience will understand that the two As represent Alcoholics Anonymous given the context of the messages. "AA is the brand, so adding the logo, which is essentially just another two As, seemed superfluous," says Cain.

Outdoor Advertising Strategy

While Cain acknowledges that billboards are not the most effective way to reach people, it is one of the few media methods available to Alcoholics Anonymous. The organization cannot use social media because individuals may inadvertently disclose their identity or that of others by sharing and tagging content. "There are many challenges in aligning with the organization's purpose and how modern communication works," explains Cain.

Message and Ad Design

Each poster features a blurred message, with the only visible letters being two As to help viewers identify the ads as belonging to AA. Messages such as "Alcohol isn’t the Answer," "Learn to live without Alcohol," and "Ready when you Are" appear on the ads.

Cain clarifies that the analogy is that this represents life through the blurred eyes of an alcoholic, with AA offering clarity to help maintain or achieve sobriety. Some ads explicitly mention alcohol, while others convey encouraging messages like "You Are not Alone" and "There is A better wAy of living."

Impact and Reflection

As Alcoholics Anonymous is a peer-led organization, decisions are made by committee at an annual conference. The initial 30 posters were approved at that conference, with no changes allowed until the next annual event.

The campaign is national but has a higher concentration of placements in London. Due to the sensitive nature and the potential for anyone needing AA’s help to be anywhere, no targeting is involved.

Conclusion

This innovative outdoor advertising campaign not only adheres to Alcoholics Anonymous' strict anonymity rules but also creatively utilizes billboards and DOOH to convey its message. Collaboration with JCDecaux and The Raised Eyebrow Society has enabled AA to reach a broader audience without compromising its core principles.