Weekend Not Wasted is the result of MTV's partnership with Diageo’s DrinkiQ, an information hub designed to empower people to make informed choices about drinking. The series is intended to reach the 12 million people following MTV on social media by showcasing a trio of 20-somethings experiencing a weekend without the ill-effects of a night on the sauce. “It’s really important to us that young adults in Europe are informed and empowered to enjoy alcohol in a moderate and sensible way. In creating this campaign, we have married our unique marketing insight with the reach and influence of MTV to land the message,” says John Kennedy, the president of Diageo in Europe, Turkey and India. We explore the insights behind this and why brands are using entertainment marketing to keep viewers viewing.

Instead of demonising the devil's drink, the show’s intro offers a balanced perspective on alcohol consumption. Adopting the position that ‘whilst alcohol may be fun, it’ll often leave you feeling worse for wear and with a wasted weekend’, the show aligns well with the changes in attitudes towards alcohol amongst younger generations. With the proportion of 16-24-year-old abstaining from alcohol consumption increasing, MTV and Diageo’s entertainment-oriented approach to marketing-meets-public information is well positioned to resonate with this growing cohort. “The increase in young people who choose not to drink alcohol suggests that this behaviour may be becoming more acceptable, whereas risky behaviours such as binge drinking may be becoming less normalised,” says Dr Linda Ng Fat, the lead author of a study into English alcohol consumption.

With hectic lifestyles leaving little time for recovery and a growing focus on wellbeing, Gens Yers and Zers in the UK are cutting back on booze and the accompanying Saturday/Sunday stupor. It's part of a wider shift towards the pursuit of self-improvement, and drinks brands such as Heineken are recognising this by offering low- and no-alcohol ways of indulging in the social occasions commonly associated with booze consumption but without the head-splitting downside.

Aaron Hanaphy is a behavioral analyst at Canvas8, which specializes in behavioral insights and consumer research. As a synth-loving semiotician, you'll either find him fiddling with filters or diving deep into the cultural nuances of anything from bad TV to brand language.