Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) has blurred the lettering across its latest set of billboards, in a campaign created to mirror life through the eyes of someone struggling with their relationship with alcohol.
Each blurred-out headline contains two As which have been sharply bought into focus, representing the clarity AA can provide to those facing alcohol addiction.
Notably, the visuals – which will launch on 1 July to coincide with Alcohol Awareness Week – also contain no logo. They will appear again later in the year, culminating with a five-week run between Boxing Day and the end of January 2025.
The new text-only posters have been designed by The Raised Eyebrow Society and will appear across digital billboards throughout the UK as part of JC Deceaux’s Community Channel programme.
“We believe the target audience will understand the two A’s represent Alcoholics Anonymous, given the context of the messages,” said The Raised Eyebrow Society co-founder and creative director Pete Cain.
Subscribe to Marketing Beat for FREE
Sign up here to get the latest Christmas ads and more sent straight to your inbox each morning
“AA is the brand, so adding the logo which is essentially just another two As seemed superfluous. It makes the posters stand out as well which is prerequisite for any poster to be effective.”
The absence of the logo also embodies the organisation’s founding principle of anonymity, with the campaign now being referred to as AA’s anonymous ad campaign.
The posters contain 30 different headlines to appeal to a wide range of people, with upbeat messaging such as ‘LeArn to live without Alcohol’, ‘You Are not Alone’, ‘Alcohol isn’t the Answer’ and ‘WhAt hAve you got to lose?’.
“We set out to create a campaign that respectfully aligns with Alcoholic Anonymous principles and traditions. We also wanted to deliver positive messaging. Addiction-related campaigns are often shaming and negative,” said Cain.
“As we dug deeper, it became apparent the reasons people don’t seek help are multiple and complex, so a single message wouldn’t resonate with everyone in the target audience.”
