Three decades ago, Texas was facing an enormous problem: trash, as far as the eye could see, piled up along its scenic and city roadways. The cleanup was arduous and costly — by the mid-1980s, the Texas Department of Transportation (aka TxDOT) was spending nearly $20 million each year in rubbish removal along highways alone. To save money (and the environment), leaders of the Lone Star State knew they had to get trash under control, which they decided to do with a series of public service announcements. But little did TxDOT know that its cleanliness campaign would become larger than life.
The iconic line, dreamed up by an Austin-based ad agency, initially launched on bumper stickers deposited at truck stops and fast food restaurants. The first "Don't Mess With Texas" commercial, which aired at the 1986 Cotton Bowl, honed in on Texans' love for their land, telling viewers that littering was not only a crime but "an insult" to the state's landscape. The phrase — spoken in that first commercial by Dallas-born guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan amid a bluesy version of "The Eyes of Texas" — soon became a rallying cry for Texans. The spot was so popular that TV stations around the state received calls asking for it to be aired again. Within a year, TxDOT estimated that roadside litter had dropped by 29%. The ad campaign continued — featuring celebrities such as Willie Nelson, George Foreman, and LeAnn Rimes — and is credited with reducing highway trash by 72% in its first four years. The slogan has become only more popular over time, used at protests, declared by presidential candidates, and chanted at football games — all proof that state pride is held deep in the hearts of Texans.
|
No comments