Uganda Breweries Limited (UBL) today unveiled multiple award-winning musician Irene Ntale as the new campaign ambassador for the Red Card to Drunk Driving campaign which kicked off on Tuesday 16, 2014. Ntale takes over the role from Uganda’s legendary referee, Mr Charles Masembe, who served in the position since December 2013.
Speaking to journalists at the unveiling ceremony of Ntale, Ms Charity Kiyemba, the Corporate Relations and Legal Director UBL said the artiste was chosen as the face of the campaign because of her reputable character, strong values, and appeal to millions of Ugandans between 18 and 35 years of age.
“As the campaign ambassador, Irene will inspire Ugandans to drink responsibly so that our roads are safe for all users, especially during the festive seasons and Easter, when we celebrate the milestones in our lives,” she said.
The artiste has recorded a campaign song which will amplify the awareness drive about responsible drinking in our society. “The team at UBL has listened to the song and do believe many of you will enjoy it when you listen to it,” Kiyemba said.
She also applauded Ms. Ntale for accepting to be the new campaign ambassador and for the work she has done for the drive so far. “We are optimistic that her efforts during the campaign will enable us to achieve the campaign objectives,” she said.
UBL also recognized Mr Masembe for his work during the 2013 Red Card campaign with a token of appreciation. Ms Kiyemba noted that, “His position as the campaign ambassador contributed immensely to the overall success of the campaign because he inspired many sports lovers who frequent alcohol outlets and sports events to drink responsibly.”
Masembe also raised awareness about the campaign and challenged many Ugandans not to engage in the bad habit of drunk driving.
An evaluation carried out by our research partner Millward Brown, shows that last year’s campaign created huge awareness on responsible drinking. The research conducted among 300 people to measure the impact of our communication on responsible drinking in Uganda showed that 87% of the respondents interviewed, had seen or heard the “Don’t Drink and Drive” responsible drinking message. Of the total number of people interviewed 132 people agreed that responsible drinking is knowing your limits as well as not driving while under the influence of alcohol.
At the launch of new campaign Dr Stephen Kasiima, the Assistant Inspector General of Police commended UBL for the campaign, noting that it contributed to a reduction in drunk driving related accident incidents on Uganda’s roads as reported in the 2013 Uganda Police Force Crime and Traffic/ Road Safety Report.
In her remarks, Ms. Ntale commended UBL for appointing her as the campaign ambassador of the Red Card to Drunk Driving campaign.
“I thank Uganda Breweries Limited for putting its trust in me as an advocate for responsible drinking and road safety in Uganda. Today, I too pledge not to drink and drive and I urge all of you; my fans, my colleagues in the industry and my fellow citizens, drink responsibly. Think about the consequences of your actions before you make that decision that could ruin your family, your festive mood and most importantly, your life,” Ntale said.
Over the last seven years, UBL and its partners, have carried out responsible drinking campaigns to increase awareness around responsible consumption of alcohol and reduce harm or abuse of its products.