What PR Pros Can Learn from Dry January and Why It’s One of the Most Successful Campaigns of Our Time
Every January, the same shift happens.
Alcohol-free options suddenly feel normal. Saying “I’m not drinking” needs less explanation. And Dry January once again becomes part of the national conversation.
From a PR perspective, it’s fascinating.
Inspired by the PR in the Real World podcast episode ‘How the Dry January Campaign Changed a Culture’, featuring Joe Marley from Alcohol Change UK, this blog post is a reminder of what’s possible when communications are built on a deep understanding of human behaviour, not hype.
A Campaign That Was Never Meant to Be This Big
One of the most refreshing things about Dry January is that it was never designed to be a phenomenon.
The idea was first created by Emily Robinson, who decided to give up alcohol for January while training for a half-marathon. She noticed the benefits, better sleep, improved focus, feeling fitter and shared her experience. That was it.
Nearly 15 years later, Dry January has become one of the most recognisable ‘behaviour-change’ campaigns in the UK, and one of the most successful of our time. Even Alcohol Change UK didn’t expect it to grow to this scale.
The campaign is the perfect example of how ideas rooted in real life, not brand positioning, can gain momentum in ways you can’t always predict or manufacture.
Why January Works (and Always Has)
January has always been about new beginnings.
It’s a moment when people naturally reflect, reset and attempt to reinvent for the new year. Dry January fits into that mindset seamlessly. It doesn’t try to create motivation, it taps into motivation that already exists.
People take part for all sorts of reasons:
- wanting better sleep
- saving money
- feeling healthier
- or simply proving to themselves that they can commit to something
What’s clever from a PR point of view is that none of those motivations are imposed by the campaign. They’re personal and that makes the campaign feel accessible rather than directive.
Not Prescriptive, Not Judgemental, Just Simple
One of the reasons Dry January works so well is because of what it doesn’t do.
It doesn’t tell people why they should take part.
It doesn’t promise how they’ll feel at the end.
It doesn’t position alcohol as “bad” or participants as “better”.
It’s simply: no alcohol for January.
That simplicity gives people space to make it their own and that’s incredibly powerful. There’s no “right” reason to take part, no pressure to justify your choice, and no guilt if you approach it differently to someone else.
From a communications perspective, this non-prescriptive tone removes resistance. People feel invited, not instructed, which is exactly what you want in a behaviour change campaign.
Alcohol Is Everywhere — Dry January Offers a Shield
Alcohol is deeply embedded in UK culture. It’s everywhere, socialising, celebrations, and yes, even our advertising.
One really interesting insight from the podcast is how Dry January gives people a social shield. Saying “I’m doing Dry January” is often more accepted than explaining a personal goal like “I’m trying to be fitter” or “I want to cut back”.
That shared cultural understanding reduces pressure. It gives people permission to say no, without having to explain themselves.
And as the campaign has grown, it’s also created a genuine sense of community. People know they’re not doing it alone, which makes participation easier and more appealing.
Real Impact, Not Just Headlines
Dry January isn’t just well known, it works.
According to Alcohol Change UK, 70% of people are still drinking less six months later. That’s a huge stat in the context of behaviour change.
This matters even more when you consider that around 10 million people in the UK are drinking at risky levels, and Alcohol Change UK’s wider goal is to end the serious harms caused by alcohol.
From a PR perspective, this is where the campaign really stands out. It’s not chasing vanity metrics or short-term spikes in awareness. It’s focused on long-term outcomes and measuring success in ways that actually reflect change.
Joe Marley talks about the importance of sanity metrics — outcomes that might not always make flashy headlines but genuinely matter.
Staying Fresh by Responding to Culture
Running an annual campaign for nearly 15 years comes with challenges. But Dry January has stayed relevant by responding to cultural change, not reinventing itself every year for the sake of it.
The conversation around alcohol has shifted. Low and no-alcohol drinks are now mainstream, not niche. That evolution has allowed the campaign to adapt, including things like official alcohol-free beers during January.
Alcohol Change UK also runs polls every year, and while the core patterns remain consistent, there are always small changes and new insights that help shape media narratives and keep the campaign interesting.
And perhaps most importantly, the campaign continues to centre real participant stories. Those lived experiences are what keep the messaging human and what give journalists something meaningful to work with year after year.
Running Awareness or Annual Campaigns
When you run the same campaign year after year, comparison becomes unavoidable. Media coverage, sign-ups, donations, engagement, everything gets stacked up against last year’s numbers. And if one metric dips, it’s easy to feel like you’ve failed, even when the work itself is still making a real difference.
Big numbers can be motivating, but they can also be misleading. When you’re focused on genuine behaviour change, success doesn’t always look like constant growth, and it definitely doesn’t move in a straight line.
For PR and comms teams, particularly those working in charities, it’s easy to lose sight of impact when you’re buried in spreadsheets and reports. But helping some people is still helping people. Supporting behaviour change at any scale still matters.
Dry January is a useful reminder to occasionally step back and zoom out. Behind every data point is a real person, someone sleeping better, feeling healthier, saving money, or simply proving to themselves that they can commit to something. Progress isn’t always louder than last year. Sometimes it’s just deeper.
The PR Takeaway
Dry January is a powerful reminder of what PR can achieve when it’s rooted in people, not performance.
It shows that:
- Authentic ideas can grow further than flashy launches
- Timing matters because feelings matter
- Non-judgemental messaging builds trust
- Real stories keep campaigns alive
- And long-term impact is more important than quick wins
In an industry where we’re always pushed to do “more”, “bigger” and “better”, it’s worth remembering that sustained, thoughtful work has value even when it doesn’t break records.
