Coca-Cola’s Designated Driver Campaign is Back!
Coca-Cola’s Designated Driver Campaign is back to reward those drivers who play their part in getting their friends and family home safely this Christmas!
For the 15th year in a row, Coca-Cola HBC’s Designated Driver campaign is back to reward those unsung heroes of Christmas who gift their friends a lift, and with a 36%* increase in deaths on our roads so far this year, planning your route home and potentially being the Designated Driver has never been more important.
There are over 78 participating venues across Northern Ireland and Ireland and drivers can grab two soft drinks from the Coca-Cola range for free, by simply make themselves known to bar staff!
To help get the message out, social media star and disability activist, India Sasha has joined the campaign to raise awareness across Northern Ireland and encourage all of us to be the Designated Driver this Christmas as she comments: ‘As a recently qualified driver, I’m looking forward to being a Designated Driver for my friends and family over the festive season. There is nothing better than Christmas celebrations and it’s great knowing all your loved ones are home safe.’
Speaking at the launch of Designated Driver in Belfast, Head of Roads Policing, Graham Dodds said: ‘The Police service is pleased to support the launch of this year’s Designated Driver campaign. To date this year, 57 people have tragically lost their lives on roads across Northern Ireland, eleven more than this time last year.
‘We all want to celebrate this Christmas season with our loved ones, but I urge everyone to ensure they plan ahead to get home safely this Christmas. The Designated Driver campaign rewards safe drivers and I encourage those going out this Christmas to get involved.’
Speaking on behalf of Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland, Davide Franzetti, General Manager said: ‘I am incredibly proud that we are marking 15 years of the Coca-Cola Designated Driver campaign of rewarding safe drivers and of partnering with our incredible customers in the hospitality industry who make this initiative possible. This is my first time seeing the initiative in action and I am looking forward to playing my part and being a Coca-Cola Designated Driver over the Christmas period. I want to thank our partners, the PSNI, Road to Zero at Department of Infrastructure, NI Hotel’s Federation, Hospitality Ulster, and our ambassador India for getting this important message to people across the island.’
Designated Driver will also run in the Republic of Ireland for the 19th year with influencer and broadcaster, Miriam Mullins acting as our ambassador. The initiative is supported by the Department of Transport, the Road Safety Authority, An Garda Síochána, Drinkaware, Licenced Vintners Federation, Vintners Federation of Ireland, Irish Hotels Federation and Restaurants Association of Ireland in the Republic of Ireland.
Designated Drivers can download the Coca-Cola App to find out more about Coca-Cola’s participating venues. For more information on Designated Driver 2023 and details of participating venues visit www.coca-cola.ie/designated-driver.
*36% increase is based on year to date comparisons.
Featured Image Caption: India Sasha and General Manager of Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland Davide Franzetti.
