by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
The signing of the deal was marked with a photo op featuring Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton taking the control of a Tube train. Diageo has linked with racing team Vodafone McLaren and with Hamilton to promote responsible drinking.
Diageo has signed a three year deal with TfL to sponsor free travel on New Year’s Eve in the capital. The inaugural campaign includes responsible drinking promotion from 9 December until the New Year. In addition, free bottles of water featuring responsible drinking tips will be given away at selected Central London Tube stations during the busiest party nights of the year.
The campaign is part of Diageo’s responsible drinking programme which includes the sponsorship of public awareness campaigns to promote responsible drinking, targeted interventions and initiatives focused on those who misuse alcohol, and providing support for initiatives to boost safety in the night-time economy.
Londoners will benefit from free travel on service from 23:45 on New Year’s Eve until 04:30 on New Year’s Day. Tube, DLR and tram services will run all night on New Year’s Eve, as well as night buses and 24-hour bus routes as usual. Free travel will also apply to London Overground trains running after 23:45 until last train times.
A number of celebrations will be taking place across the Capital to celebrate the New Year, including a spectacular fireworks display on the Southbank organised by the Mayor of London.
It would be nice if the bottles of water given away would be water bottles filled with London tap water. The tap water in the Capital is perfect and probable much safer than many a bottled water. Chance would be a fine thing, I guess.
The free travel for people to be able to get home after the New Year's celebrations in London is, obviously, a great idea and sponsorship is today very important for anything of this nature to be done by even public bodies.
Free travel on London Transport on New Year's Eve/New Year's Morning has been the case for many years by now but, as said, in the current financial situation for the local governments, who would be the ones footing the bill, sponsorship is important and this deal has sorted this out for the next three years at least.
Could we please rethink the free bottled water to free water bottles (reusable ones) filled with good healthy London tap water?
© 2011
