Is South Dakota’s Anti-Meth Campaign Trash?

Say what you want about the tagline for South Dakota’s new anti-meth campaign. But we bet your company would flip some chickens to get one of your marketing campaigns this kind of national exposure.

“Meth. We’re on it.” 

So goes the tagline for South Dakota’s new anti-meth campaign, which hit the internet on Monday and was roundly – and predictably – criticized.

Most of the armchair creative directors, safe behind their Twitter avatars, dunked on the double entendre and wondered if the agency behind the campaign and the South Dakota government were the ones “on it.” The speed at which the backlash traveled was nothing short of viral. You were likely well aware of the controversy as the tweets and memes and Breaking Bad GIFs washed across your newsfeed Monday afternoon.

You know what else you were aware of? South Dakota’s meth epidemic.

Say what you want about the tagline and the accompanying photography. But we bet your company would flip some chickens to get one of your marketing campaigns this kind of national exposure, even if the budget was $449,000.

Just like the Nebraska Tourism Commission’s latest campaign tagline – “Honestly, it’s not for everyone” – South Dakota’s campaign captures our attention, and everyone’s talking about it. 

We’re not saying South Dakota’s anti-meth campaign is flawless or without issues (time and data will bring that boil to a simmer). And, sure, not all controversy is created equally. (Hello, Colorado’s new logo.)

But a big reason why the campaign is driving so much awareness is because it dares to take a stance. Broadhead Co., the agency that cooked up the campaign, explained that they wanted to frame the meth crisis as a community-wide issue. Instead of cranking out a campaign fueled by grotesque "meth mouth" close-ups of what meth use can do to your appearance and health, South Dakota’s campaign features images of concerned community members. This tweak – broadening the audience and giving them an action to take – enabled the agency to create a “message that thus far has been missing from the dialogue.”

We’d love to hear your take on the campaign. Hit? Miss? Somewhere in between? As you mull your reaction, check out these mock-ups we’ve put together for other states in need of bold, cookie-cutter-free awareness campaigns.

And if you have a witty campaign slogan for your state, hit us up in the comments below.