On November 18, the governor of the US state of South Dakota announced the launch of a large-scale anti-drug campaign, including posters, TV commercials, billboards and a special site. All this to draw attention to the “methamphetamine epidemic.” But there is a problem: the slogan of Meth. We’re on it ”(“ Met. We are working on it ”) can be read as“ Met. We [sit] on it. “
Posters prepared by Broadhead advertising agency are not correcting the situation. They depict soccer students, seniors and regular cafe visitors. “Met. I am on it ”(or“ Met. I’m in business ”), is written on each poster. The campaign site address is onmeth.com (“scheduled .com)”.
The authorities of South Dakota spent 450 thousand dollars on the campaign. And she fulfilled at least one goal – attracted attention. For several hours, social networks were filled with jokes about the fact that the state advertises methamphetamine, and the authors of the slogan themselves are using drugs.
With this logo
Social network users began to come up with their own slogans.
Hell yeah
The ad agency spent $1,000 on the PSA campaign and $449,000 on meth.
— Matthew Bekerman (@MatthewBekerman) 18 November 2019
The agency spent $ 1,000 on the campaign and another 449 thousand on meth
Spending half a million dollars to tell people you’re on meth feels like more of a cocaine vibe. https://t.co/ANWlTBIhYK
— Kashana (@kashanacauley) 18 November 2019
Spending half a million dollars to tell people you’re on meth is like cocaine
So basically all these people are on it and they look okay so maybe I should be on it, too? I mean, I feel like I'm missing out.
— Lauren (@sequinpants) 18 November 2019
If all these people are sitting on a meta and looking fine, then maybe I should also? Well, that is, I feel like I’m missing something
Against the backdrop of resonance, state governor Kristi Noem said the ad was intentionally ambiguous to provoke a discussion on methamphetamine use. “We expected such a reaction. But this is a kind of irony of healthy South Dakota residents [on posters] who, with a high degree of probability, do not use meth. But this is our common problem. Everyone should participate in its decision, ”added representatives of local authorities. Broadhead refused to talk to The New York Times, redirecting all questions to the South Dakota authorities.
In 2014, the state had already fallen into a similar story with advertisements: the Department of Public Security placed billboards on the roads warning the drivers not to “pull the steering wheel” on snowy roads once again. But in the slogan “Don’t Jerk and Drive” they saw an explicit reference to masturbation, which is why the campaign was turned off.
