Most young women know not to drink while pregnant, to prevent Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).

But most aren’t trying to get pregnant. This campaign needed to convince them that, if there was a chance they were, they should avoid drinking for 21 days until they could take a pregnancy test.

The guiding insight was that, while they might find this hard to relate to, they’d definitely support a friend in this situation. Pre Testie Bestie was a highly targeted campaign that prompted a clear direct response: ‘Support your friend by helping her to not drink until she’s sure she’s not pregnant’.

The campaign was predominantly driven through social and digital channels with some supporting targeted OOH (bathrooms, gyms, universities). Social media was used at its best for story-telling and targeting; social was the only way this campaign could truly work.

The creative innovation came from taking a very straight forward message (‘Don’t know, Don’t drink’) and translating it into a campaign that behaves and speaks like the audience in social and digital platforms, engaging the audience on platforms they to build and maintain close relationships.

Treating the channels like the campaign character’s personal journal ensured girls felt like they were witnessing a real-time, real-life journey unfold – and kept them coming back for new. This was not your typical government organisation campaign; instead, lines like ‘Piss on a stick, cos you got some dick’ defined the series as one written by girls, for girls.

The campaign reached 89% of 18-29 year old Kiwi women. 65% of millennial women said it made them consider if they were pregnant before drinking. And 90% of the audience say they would support someone who is pregnant to stop drinking. While too soon to say if it has reduced incidences of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, just two fewer such births would make the campaign pay for itself through Government savings on healthcare.