CLOSE-UP: LIVE ISSUE - SAFE DRINKING CAMPAIGNS. Can AMV help binge drinkers in the UK reduce their intake?(Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO campaign for Diageo)

Could advertising lead to a safer drinking culture in the UK?

Ever woken up in a strange place, close to throwing up last night's dinner and with a paralysing headache? The chances are you've had a heavy night on the booze. And why not, you might ask. Surely that's what drinking alcohol is all about - getting drunk and suffering the consequences? Virtually everyone does it and the attraction is currently growing.

According to the alcohol watchdog, The Portman Group, more than one million 18- to 24-year-olds regularly drink to extremes - prompting it to launch the campaign 'If you do do drink, don't get drunk' in March 2001.

That is exactly the line you would expect a supervisory body to take.

But what about when advertising agencies start producing campaigns to promote responsible drinking habits? That is the task Diageo has asked Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO to undertake, following a pitch against its fellow roster agencies.

But at first glance, responsible drinking and ad agencies may seem rather uneasy bedfellows. Especially when agencies are renowned for creating lighthearted television ads that cast an air of approval over the image of booze-lovers embracing the demon drink with open arms?

Take TBWA\London's latest Strongbow ads, for example, that feature a group of guys rushing around trying to build up a thirst so they can guzzle cider to their heart's content. Or last year's Bacardi Breezer offering from McCann-Erickson, which showed its feline star, Tom, partying hard and then suffering a hangover.