South Dakota’s ‘Meth. We’re On It.’ Campaign Mocked As Tone Deaf. But It Undeniably Got People’s Attention.
“Hey Twitter, the whole point of this ad campaign is to raise awareness,” Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota said in response to the furor over the campaign. “So I think that’s working … #thanks #MethWeAreOnIt.” In South Dakota, from 2014 to 2018, the state saw a 200 percent increase in people seeking treatment for meth-related addiction.
(Sioux Falls, S.D.) Argus News Leader:
'Meth. We're On It.': South Dakota Spends $449K On New Anti-Meth Ad Campaign
Gov. Kristi Noem has a message for South Dakota: "Meth. We're On It." Noem launched her new anti-meth campaign on Monday to bring awareness to the meth epidemic in South Dakota that will include a new TV ad, billboards, posters and website. The campaign's motto features the phrase, "Meth. We're on it," over an outline of South Dakota, and the ad and posters feature people of differing in ages and races saying, "I'm on meth." ... Broadhead Co., a marketing and ad agency in Minneapolis, created the "Meth. We're On It." campaign. The state's Department of Social Services paid the agency just short of $449,000 this fall, according to the state's finances website, open.sd.gov. (Kaczke, 11/18)
CNBC:
South Dakota Ads Suggest People From The State Are 'On' Meth
In one video spot shared on YouTube on Monday, people from an elderly man to young men and women share the message “I’m on meth.” “Meth is not someone else’s problem, it’s everyone in South Dakota’s problem, and we need everyone to get on it,” a narrator says in the video.While some poked fun at the campaign for showing those who appeared to be claiming they were using the drug, others said it was a clever double play on words that got people intrigued. (Graham, 11/18)
The New York Times:
‘Meth, We’re On It’: South Dakota’s Anti-Meth Campaign Raises Eyebrows
The idea for the campaign began last year after Governor Noem took office as the first female governor in the state’s history. A Republican, she has focused on addressing what she has called an “escalating meth crisis" in the state. “She wanted to do it in a way that got the attention of the citizens,” Laurie Gill, the state’s secretary for the Department of Social Services, said in an interview on Monday night. “We are looking for a way that would cause the citizens to stop, pay attention and understand that we do have a meth issue and that there are resources available.” (Zaveri, 11/18)
The Washington Post:
South Dakota’s ’Meth. We’re On It.’ Ad Campaign Cost Nearly Half A Million Dollars
“South Dakota’s meth crisis is growing at an alarming rate. It impacts every community in our state, and it threatens the success of the next generation,” Noem said in a public service announcement. “This is our problem, and together, we need to get on it.” “Let’s get meth out of South Dakota,” she added. (Brice-Saddler, 11/18)
