Alcohol is cultural and social currency, particularly in the UK. We raise a glass at any opportunity, whether it's birthdays, Friday nights in the pub or Wednesday lunchtimes. Yet while drinking has long been central to British culture, data from the World Health Organisation recently revealed that Britons are on average drinking less alcohol, with consumption falling from 12.6 litres of pure alcohol a year per adult to 11.4 litres in 2017.

It's clear that people's attitudes to drinking are changing. Yet there is no doubt that inviting people to give up alcohol for a month is a daunting prospect for many, especially in the run up to Christmas.

Macmillan Cancer Support is encouraging people to rise to this challenge with the launch of their Go Sober for October initiative that asks people to give up alcohol for 31 days to raise money for the charity. The event's theme for this year is Soberheroes, a campaign that has already attracted more than 60,000 signups with over £1million raised so far for Macmillan Cancer Care.

Keeping in line with the theme for the year, Nice and Serious translated the idea of the sober superhero into a TV ad, 'Heroes of No.' The ad turns the moment a person says no to a drink into a heroic act, taking aim at the social stigma still prevalent around people who decline to drink in social situations. It also addresses the implicit peer pressure, which all too often creates an added weight to drink alcohol in social situations.

The animated ad's tone is light-hearted and relatable, with the nuanced facial expressions of the characters helping the message to land. The beauty of the simple animation is that it captures the seriousness of the charity's messaging whilst also poking fun at familiar social situations.

Founded in 2013, Go Sober for October was created to raise both awareness about the dangers of alcohol as well as funds for the charity. It is now a nationwide movement that allows people to recognise that just because we've been long conditioned to feel socialising without a drink in hand is impossible, that doesn't have to be the case. As the ad says, become a Soberhero, because "saying no feels super." By giving consumers the opportunity to reappraise their drinking habits, whilst also raising money for an important cause, Macmillan ensures not just brand relevancy but an understanding of the need to find new ways to engage with consumers.