F1 stars Mika Häkkinen, Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso called on Londoners to JOIN THE PACT to never drink and drive, supporting the Department for Transport’s THINK! campaign.
In Wembley, London, on 4 December 2015, as part of its global responsible drinking programme, JOIN THE PACT, JOHNNIE WALKER®, staged a driving spectacular with the stars of the McLaren Honda Formula 1 Team to encourage people to never drink and drive.
During the event, F1 Stars Mika Häkkinen, Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso and fellow McLaren Honda driver and 2015 GP2 Champion Stoffel Vandoorne thrilled spectators, demonstrating their control skills in London’s Wembley Park, driving competition winners, media and special guests in a range of cars, including McLaren road cars (including the lesser-seen McLaren 570S supercar) and the Johnnie Walker supercar Caparo T1.
Radio X DJ Chris Moyles hosted the afternoon’s event and grabbed the opportunity of Jenson Button taking him for an exhilarating ride outside Wembley Stadium.
The event is part of the responsible drinking festive campaign, JOIN THE PACT. Last year, Johnnie Walker announced its intention to gather five million ‘Join The Pact’ commitments by 2018 and has since passed the half way mark, with almost 2.6 million people having made a personal promise to never drink and drive.
The event was also marked by the premiere of a powerful new ‘Join The Pact’ film featuring Johnnie Walker Global Responsible Drinking Ambassador, Mika Häkkinen.
What’s one of the best gifts you can give a friend this holiday season?
A safe ride home.
With the festive season in full swing and friends planning nights out all around the world, Johnnie Walker®, the world’s leading Scotch whisky, is encouraging people to make sure they get home safely by pledging to never drink and drive.
Last year, Johnnie Walker announced its intention to gather five million Join The Pact commitments by 2018 and has since passed the halfway mark, with almost 2.6 million people having made a personal promise to never drink and drive.
To launch its 2015 global festive responsible drinking campaign, Johnnie Walker today promised 450,000 kilometres of safe rides home around the world, in cities from Madrid to Sao Paulo and Edinburgh at Hogmanay, for those who make a commitment to never drink and drive through its Join The Pact initiative. In addition, this year and starting in London, some people will have the opportunity to go one step further and experience the joy of festive giving by nominating a friend for a safe ride home.
Johnnie Walker and UBER are providing £10 off rides for a limited number of existing users who Join The Pact, and UBER will also fund unlimited £10 rides for new users on top of that for the duration of the festive campaign.
McLaren Honda Test Driver Stoffel Vandoorne, Johnnie Walker® Global Responsible Drinking Ambassador Mika Häkkinen pictured with his Caparo T1 supercar alongside fellow F1 World Champions and McLaren Honda drivers Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso and the lesser-seen McLaren 570S supercar at London’s Westminster Parliament buildings
Johnnie Walker®, Join The Pact will deliver 450,000 kilometres of safe rides home in the following cities:
- London
- Birmingham
- Bristol
- Leeds
- Manchester
- Newcastle
- Portsmouth
- Merseyside area
- Glasgow
- Sheffield
- Edinburgh
- Madrid
- Sao Paulo
- Rio
- Recife
Andrew Jones MP, Minister for Transport said: “Drivers know that drink driving is wrong. It can destroy families and ruin lives. Yet some people at Christmas will still take the risk and get behind the wheel when they shouldn’t. “Over the past thirty years drink drive deaths have fallen significantly but every death or serious injury is one too many. The best way for drivers to keep themselves and other road users safe is simple: don’t drink and drive. I encourage drivers to Join the Pact to not drive after a tipple this Christmas.”
McLaren Honda driver Jenson Button said: “As racing drivers, we understand the importance of staying in control and never ever getting behind the wheel after consuming any alcohol. “We’re confident that people will get the message. Millions already have, and we want to encourage millions more to make a personal commitment to get home safely and ‘Join The Pact’ by visiting jointhepact.com or by tweeting #JoinThePact to @JohnnieWalker_.”
Andrew Cowan, Managing Director of Diageo GB said: “During the festive season millions of Brits will celebrate with a drink, and we are committed to encouraging people to get home safely. We are so excited to be hosting this event in London, and we hope that many Londoners and people across the country will be inspired to join the 2.6 million people globally who have already made a pledge to never drink and drive.”
National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Alcohol Licensing and Harm Reduction, Commander Simon Letchford said: “We’re very pleased to have this opportunity to work together with our partners from the drinks industry to get across the important message around responsible drinking over the festive season in the run-up to Christmas. We want people to enjoy a drink but to do so responsibly and safely, and bear in mind that anti-social behaviour and road traffic accidents put a strain on emergency services and divert them from priority calls. If you cause an offence or an accident as a result of alcohol you could also face serious penalties.”
Mika Häkkinen said: “The holiday season is a time when friends and families get together to celebrate and share gifts of thanks with each other. It’s a time for parties and reunions and we want to make sure that those who are out celebrating with alcohol leave their cars at home. I strongly urge everyone to Join The Pact to never drink and drive. Some of those who make the commitment this year will be able to thank their friends with the gift of a safe ride home, thanks to a partnership between Johnnie Walker and UBER in the UK and other transport partners across the world.”
Johnnie Walker Global Brand Director, Guy Escolme, said: “We’re delighted to have Mika, Jenson, Fernando and Stoffel here today. Formula 1 is one of the most progressive and thrilling sports in the world – one that has proven, time and again, that those who bring passion, commitment, and a genuine love for the circuit will achieve the most.” He added: “More than 400 million fans tune in to F1 races worldwide. For ten years, our partnership with McLaren Honda has allowed us to reach this audience with our responsible drinking message and strongly urge people to Join The Pact to never drink and drive. Some of those who make the commitment this year will be able to thank their friends with the gift of a safe ride home, thanks to a partnership between Johnnie Walker and UBER in the UK and other transport partners across the world.”
People can make their pledge to never drink and drive by visiting www.jointhepact.com or by tweeting #JoinThePact to @JohnnieWalker_.
About Diageo…
Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands across spirits, beer and wine categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, J&B, Buchanan’s and Windsor whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness.
Diageo is a global company, and our products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the London Stock Exchange (DGE) and the New York Stock Exchange (DEO). For more information about Diageo, our people, our brands, and performance, visit us at www.diageo.com. Visit Diageo’s global responsible drinking resource, www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice.
Celebrating life, every day, everywhere. Enjoy Johnnie Walker responsibly.
About ‘Join The Pact ‘…
Johnnie Walker places great importance on Responsible Drinking and tackles this issue through the Join The Pact campaign, with Mika Häkkinen as the Global Responsible Drinking Ambassador. Join The Pact asks consumers everywhere to make a commitment to never drink and drive through signing a pact. Since 2006 Mika has led this call-to-action initiative, which has been activated worldwide, collecting over a million signatures.
Mika has visited over 40 countries on five continents, spoken to countless media, government officials, stakeholders and consumers delivering important messages through unique Johnnie Walker experiences.
The JOHNNIE WALKER and JOIN THE PACT words, the Striding Figure device and associated logos are trademarks © John Walker & Sons 2015.
Images © Shane Finn at Visual Devotion and Getty