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JAM | Apr 12, 2025

Red Stripe champions responsible consumption with major MOU signings

/ Our Today

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Following the successful signing of memoranda of understanding (MOUs), partners collaborating with Red Stripe’s Drink & Live Responsibly campaign proudly share a photo to mark this landmark agreement, reinforcing their shared commitment to encouraging moderation and promoting responsible choices across Jamaica. From left: creative director and executive producer of Pitchy Patchy Rayon McLean; Pitchy Patchy executive producer Kasandra Henry; National Road Safety Council executive director Paula Fletcher; IML chief technical officer Robert Pairman; Red Stripe head of corporate affairs Dianne Ashton-Smith; IML client services manager Sheryl Patterson; IML managing director Andrew Pairman; IML general manager & head of business Marc Robinson; The Art of Motivation founder Shawn Ashman; and Red Stripe communications manager Daika Mitchell. (Photo: Contributed)

 April is off to a promising start for Alcohol Awareness Month as Red Stripe reinforces its commitment to responsible drinking through its Drink & Live Responsibly campaign.

The beer-manufacturing giant formalised three groundbreaking partnerships, signing memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with Intelligent Multimedia Limited (IML), Pitchy Patchy creative play, and The Art of Motivation. These collaborations will expand the campaign’s reach through digital signage, theatre, and art, amplifying the message of moderation and responsibility across Jamaica.

Under the agreement with IML, Red Stripe will install Drink & Live Responsibly digital signage in tax offices, supermarkets, offices, and key public spaces islandwide, ensuring that critical messaging reaches a broad cross-section of the population, especially in high-traffic areas.

“Our digital signage network is built for impact. This campaign is timely, relevant, and has the potential to save lives. We are proud to use our platform to amplify this national call to action,” said managing director of IML Andrew Pairman, highlighting the significance of the initiative.

Red Stripe head of corporate affairs Dianne Ashton-Smith (left) and IML managing director Andrew Pairman sign the MOU, formalising the move to place Drink & Live Responsibly digital signage in tax offices, supermarkets, offices, and key public spaces island-wide.(Photo: Contributed)

In a culturally resonant move, Red Stripe has also partnered with the Pitchy Patchy creative play for the upcoming Responsibility Now! session later this month. Theatre is deeply embedded in Jamaican culture, making it an ideal vehicle for encouraging responsible decision-making. The initiative will spark open dialogue among students, teachers, and community members while promoting local talent and fostering safer communities.

Rayon McLean, creative director and executive producer of Pitchy Patchy, praised Red Stripe’s proactive approach, noting, “Not many brands invest in creatives unless it directly serves them. Red Stripe was one of our earliest supporters, and we are thrilled about this collaboration. Responsibility is about action, and this partnership allows us to engage audiences in a meaningful way.”

Further expanding its impact, Red Stripe has engaged The Art of Motivation, led by renowned local artist Shawn Ashman, to develop a therapeutic colouring book designed to help parents initiate meaningful conversations with their children about the risks of underage drinking. This interactive resource will be made available in schools, community centres, and homes to encourage responsible choices from an early age.

Ashman emphasised the importance of creative engagement in behavioural change highlighting, “This is more than a colouring book; it is a therapeutic journal that connects families. Through art, we can spark conversations that may otherwise be difficult to start.”

It’s official! Red Stripe head of corporate affairs Dianne Ashton-Smith (left) and The Art of Motivation founder Shawn Ashman sign an MOU to jumpstart the creation of therapeutic journals for parents, children and teachers under the ‘Drink & Live Responsibly’ campaign. (Photo: Contributed)

Speaking on the significance of the partnerships, Dianne Ashton-Smith, Red Stripe’s head of corporate affairs, reaffirmed the company’s mission to promote responsible consumption through innovative and engaging platforms.

“Responsible drinking is woven into everything we stand for—it’s about shaping environments that inspire mindful choices, sharing messages that spark meaningful dialogue, and creating experiences that resonate deeply. Through innovative mediums like digital signage, theatre, and art, we meet our consumers on their journey, connecting with them in ways that leave a lasting impression.”

Additionally, the National Road Safety Council, the lead agency for promotion of road safety, has expressed its support for these efforts, with executive director Paula Fletcher commending Red Stripe for maintaining momentum in the fight against alcohol misuse.

“The National Road Safety Council (NRSC) of Jamaica has a clear and ambitious goal: to significantly reduce road traffic fatalities and injuries, aiming for single-digit road fatalities by 2030. This aligns with the broader global vision of the United Nations’ Decade of Action for Road Safety, which seeks to stabilise and reduce road traffic deaths worldwide,” explained Fletcher. “We’re now experiencing a 14 per cent reduction in [road] fatalities, with 92 deaths to date. The aim of the United Nations’ Decade of Action for Road Safety is to reduce fatalities by 50 per cent. So the signing of these MOUs today is quite innovative. Understand that you’re a part of national development.”

Creative director and executive producer of Pitchy Patchy, Rayon McLean (left), Red Stripe head of corporate Affairs, Dianne Ashton-Smith (centre), and Pitchy Patchy executive producer, people and operations, Kasandra Henry unite for a striking photo after the signing of their MOU. This landmark agreement paves the way for impactful storytelling through theatre, leveraging the power of performance to creatively champion responsible living and mindful consumption across Jamaica. (Photo: Contributed)

Through meaningful partnerships, Red Stripe exemplifies corporate responsibility in Jamaica, demonstrating that collaboration, creativity, culture, and community engagement can effectively drive behavioural change in responsible consumption.

As Alcohol Awareness Month unfolds, Red Stripe remains unwavering in its mission to promote moderation and foster responsible decision-making across the island.

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