In 2016, UK-based organization Alcohol Concern worked with six national charities who tackle issues closely related to alcohol. The campaign they created was Dry January, encouraging people to give up alcohol for the month of January. Through Dry January, people could raise money for the six charities as well as Alcohol Concern. The aim was to reduce the harm caused by alcohol. In November 2015, the organization released a video promoting Dry January.
The video outlines a creative take on Dry January, highlighting it as a way to lose weight and get healthy for the new year. It shows several weird and wonderful weight-loss beliefs from around the world, like the Victorian method of eating tapeworms to control their weight, the Japanese method of buying glasses that make your food look blue, and the Sleeping Diet in America, that involves sleeping more so you eat less.
All these methods are depicted with the help of cute animations in different colors, adding a fun and comic element to the video. Towards the end of the video, the benefits of Dry January are highlighted. The video is minimal, relying on animations and text to convey its message: to urge viewers to sign up to a Dry January for a campaign proven to do good inside and out.
The musical score of the video is catchy and fun, and completely in sync with the action on screen. The colors used are bright, with a focus on shades of yellow, green and blue. At one minute and thirteen seconds, the video provides a horde of information, while also engaging the viewers in a compelling manner. The writing is crisp and clear, and the content is relevant and informational. The technique is excellent, and the editing is also great, ensuring that each clip adds value to the video.
Dry January 2016 is a heartfelt commercial video.
