One of the first real hints that Christmas is not too far away has to be when you see the Coca-Cola “Holidays are comin'” ad on the television. I may even have posted that I’d seen it as a Facebook status once. I suspect it has a lot to do with actually seeing the Coca-Cola trucks roll through the centre of Frankfurt all lit up way back in *mumbles a year that is now a considerable time ago*. Honestly: they actually have light-up trucks to deliver the Coca-Cola. How cool is that?!!
Diet Coke is my default drink of choice. I blame Lady G, who introduced me to chain-drinking it as a method of staving off the hunger pangs whilst losing weight, about 1000 years ago. I’m fairly sure my Diet Coke fetish has seen me through many days when I was too tired from nursing a newborn to put one foot in front of the other. I expect people will toast my passing with a round of Diet Coke at my wake.
You can imagine my delight to learn that Coca-Cola has a Designated Driver Campaign, launched last week, which will reward drivers who choose not to drink alcohol with a “buy one, get one free” offer on Coca-Cola and Diet Coke. I can’t believe it’s been running for four years and this is the first time I’ve heard of it! To make it even easier the Campaign website has a Pub Finder so that you can search out the participating pubs which, for the first time, will include NUS watering holes.
The scheme will run for three weeks from 9th to 31st December and is part of an ongoing partnership with the Department for Transport’s (DfT’s) Driver Friendly campaign, part of the THINK! Road safety initiative. It’s particularly important at this time of year, when more people are celebrating with a festive beverage.
Whilst I may be flippant about my love of Diet Coke, and an opportunity to get a drink free, there is nothing more serious than death. If you don’t have a designated driver, don’t get in the car. And if you do have a designated driver, buy them a Diet Coke and get one free!
Honestly though, can you get a more festive beverage?
Hopefully this will help people see you don’t have to have alcohol to have a good time.