Dry January: how brands are capitalising on 9 million ‘sober-curious’ Brits taking part

Almost two-in-three Brits (62%) have said they plan to acknowledge Dry January this year by drinking less or completely cutting out alcohol for the first 31 days of the year.

Almost one-in-three people in the UK (27%) wish to carry their new habits around ‘conscious consumption’ throughout the rest of the year too, according to a survey of 2,000 adults by food and drink brand Princes.

The younger generation is driving this trend as it reconsiders its relationship with alcohol, with nearly one-in-four (24%) people aged between 18 – 24 planning to drink less alcohol over the winter period.

According to charity Alcohol Change UK – the founders of the Dry January movement, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2023 – almost nine million people will take part in the initiative this year.

Financial services company Creditfix found that someone drinking six pints of lager a week could save around £105 in January, with regular wine drinkers also expected to double their savings, saving £221 a month. However, while some people are doing Dry January for money-saving purposes, most are attempting to shun alcohol for a month to focus on their own physical and mental health.

“Alcohol can affect mood, appetite, weight, libido, as well as cause a spike in insulin levels which are like those caused by poor diet,” online wellness platform ‘Made on Demand’ leader, Penny Weston, told The Independent.

Born in 2013, Dry January was founded by Alcohol Change UK and its advocate Emily Robinson who wanted to raise awareness of the effects of cutting down on booze. The movement soon grew, boasting 130,000 sign ups in 2021.

dry january alcohol change uk

What are brands doing to capitalise on Dry January? 

Despite the fact that more than 15% of Britons intend to strictly abstain from drinking alcohol this month, (according to YouGov), many brands are beginning to cater to people’s sober habits.

While Dry January may negatively affect pubs and the hospitality business, the alcohol industry will take comfort in the fact that more people are buying into low alcohol and no alcohol products. Budweiser research has found that 13% of UK adults are more likely to go to a social event while not drinking alcohol if there are non-alcoholic alternatives available besides soft drinks.

In 2022, the low alcohol and no alcohol sector grew by over 7% across 10 key global markets, including the UK, according to a study published by IWSR Drinks Market Analysis. Social media analytics firm Brandwatch also recently discovered that mentions of non-alcoholic beverages online continued to increase throughout 2022.

Lucky Saint

Last week, alcohol-free beer brand Lucky Saint secured £10 million worth of funding from investors, breaking the record for the largest ever funding round raised by brand in the alcohol-free segment. Co-founders of creative agency Adam&eveDDB James Murphy and David Golding were just two of the many investors who participated.

Lucky Saint’s founder and CEO Luke Boase affirmed that that the funds would ensure “further success for the company in the UK and help us build a globally recognised alcohol-free brand”. He feels that the company has only “just scratched the surface of this opportunity.”

The brand believes Dry January 2023 will be the biggest to date, predicting an increase of over 100% in sales and a rise of 25% in Dry Jan participation to over 10 million people. According to CEO Boase, one in three pub visits are now alcohol-free.

As of yesterday (11 January) Lucky Saint launched a major out-of-home (OOH) initiative, which the brand predicts will garner 67 million impressions. The photograph – shot by iconic photographer Rankin – intends to paint the brand as the hero of Dry Jan.

CEO Boase believes that Lucky Saint is the “saviour offering a refreshing, no compromise beer option” this month.

lucky saint ooh dry january

Tito’s

To keep up with the flurry of no alcohol/low alcohol campaigns released for Dry Jan, vodka brand Tito’s went against the grain when it released a tongue-in-cheek campaign suggesting ways in which the vodka can be used to help with staying sober.

In the 60-second spot, American businesswoman Martha Stewart provides viewers with unique ways to use Tito’s vodka throughout January such as using the spirit in pasta sauces and cleaning smelly boots. The video even sees Stewart water flowers with the vodka, joking that the plant “smells like February”.

“We are all about consumers drinking Tito’s the way they want to drink it. Whether that means they’re drinking less, taking a month off, or trying new recipes, we are supportive of our fan base’s consumption choices,” Tito’s vice president of brand marketing, Taylor Berry, exclusively told CNN.

“The idea that you can still use Tito’s when you’re abstaining from alcohol is what has made this campaign so enjoyable to create. For those doing dry January, well, Tito’s will still be here for you come February.”




Lyre’s

To add to the surge of alcohol-free brand marketing, non-alcoholic ‘spirits’ brand Lyre’s also recently announced that it would officially sponsor Dry January and Alcohol Change UK for the second year running. Towards the end of 2021 the brand signed a three-year partnership with the charity, becoming ‘The Official Spirit of Dry January’.

This year Lyre’s Classico Grande is the official wine of the sober-curious month. To raise awareness of Alcohol Change UK, £1 from every Classico Grande bottle will be donated to the charity.

The brand boasts a range of 16 premium non-alcoholic spirits, sparkling wine and range of ready-to-drink cocktails, all vegan friendly and low in sugar and calories.

lyre's dry january

Princes

Food and drink brand Princes has also capitalised on Dry January by commissioning research on alcohol consumption during the month and releasing a mocktail drinks campaign.

According to the brand, one-third of Brits (33%) said they had enjoyed a mocktail-based, alcohol-free ‘get-together’ with their friends and family over the festive period. Pinterest searches for ‘fancy nonalcoholic’ drinks are also said to have increased by 220% in the last two years.

“Whether you’re cutting alcohol out completely but still want the delicious taste of a cocktail, are trying to cut down or simply want to expand your tastebuds’ horizons, there are really exciting new arrivals on shelves every day that can be enjoyed any way you like,” said brand marketing director Jeremy Gibson.

princes mixers dry january


Dry January aside, it seems the low alcohol/no alcohol sector will continue to grow as an increasing amount of sober-curious people look to make changes to their lifestyles. Veganuary itself – the act of cutting meat out in January – has also increased in popularity in recent years.

In years to come more and more brands will be creating products for the two initiatives and it will be up to the corresponding agencies and marketing divisions to market them successfully.

BrandsCreative and CampaignsFeaturesThis Week in Marketing

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