• by Aaron Baar , March 5, 2012

Jack Daniels, along with music act The Zac Brown Band, is looking to take consumers to “drinking school,” though the lessons are less about partying and more about responsible consumption.

“We initially developed this as a way of sharing this [responsibility] message,” Andrea Duvall, PR manager for Jack Daniels, tells Marketing Daily. “This is a topic that’s a bit of a challenge to conquer. The name is a bit of a hook to get people’s attention.”

Through messages of loyalty and responsibility, the online campaign aims to educate people about the importance of drinking responsibly. At the online site, www.jackdanielsdrinkingschool.com, concert-goers have the opportunity to register for free designated-driver rides from select concerts in cities across the U.S. (People have to watch one of the online “courses,” which feature the band encouraging people to enjoy themselves, but to take care of the people around them.)

People who are not in one of the markets where free rides are offered can earn online badges for watching the videos. Along with the presentations are tips to recognize when one of your companions has had too much to drink. The information was created with assistance from expert organizations on responsible drinking such as The Century Council.

The online program will also be supplemented with a television commercial that features Zac Brown intercut with scenes of the band playing together telling consumers to “Protect Your Band,” just as he and his crew do with each other

“It’s something that the band themselves truly believe in,” Duvall says. “They have a practice to look out for one another.”