UA Students’ Anti-Binge Drinking PSA to Air in BCS National Championship

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — An anti-binge drinking public service announcement filmed by University of Alabama students featuring former NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal will air during the BCS National Championship.

The University of Alabama’s advertising and public relations department, housed in the College of Communication and Information Sciences, launched the LessThanUThink anti-binge drinking campaign in 2010.

Last April, the campaign gained national coverage by shooting a PSA directed by Shaquille O’Neal. The PSA will play in the Miami Sun Life Stadium during the championship football game between The University of Alabama and the University of Notre Dame. The PSA, sponsored by Bacardi USA as part of a commitment to responsible drinking, will air during the first quarter of the game. Bacardi USA is a funding member of The Century Council.

O’Neal agreed to participate in the PSA following a student-generated Twitter campaign at The University of Alabama. The 60-second PSA premiered Oct. 18, 2012. Students and faculty members from the department of telecommunication and film assisted with the filming and editing, and a student from the department of theatre and dance played the starring role.

Mariah Fairweather, UA alum and former LTUT team member, worked on the Shaq PSA and will be in Miami for the game.

“Having both my alma mater and the PSA in the stadium on the same night is like a dream come true,” Fairweather said.

LessThanUThink is a student-based anti-binge drinking campaign consisting of advertising and public relations students at The University of Alabama through the student-run firm, Capstone Agency. The campaign focuses on college campuses and reaches out to students through humorous messages that emphasize the negative social consequences of binge drinking. Funded by The Century Council, the campaign was launched in 2010 on The University of Alabama campus.