I was born and raised in the state of Texas. Like other Texans, I can agree that the state and its people have a certain je ne sais quoi that sets them apart from the rest of the country. It’s hard to think of a phrase more synonymous with the Lone Star State’s proud bravado and unique patriotic identity than ‘Don’t mess with Texas.’
As it turns out, Texas’s most recognizable slogan is also its most successful social marketing campaign. So successful, in fact, that many aren’t even aware that this phrase began as (and still is) the slogan of an anti-littering campaign. The 40-year history behind the phrase offers some very interesting insights into the unforeseen challenges of marketing in the early days of widespread internet.
In the eighties, Texas roads were trashed, literally, and roadside cleanup was bleeding the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDoT) dry. It became clear that the sentiment around littering needed to change. TXDoT partnered with Mike Blair and Tim McClure of the ad agency GSD&M to create a new campaign. Demographically, young men were identified as being most likely to litter. Coincidentally, this group also happened to be the most likely to invoke their God-given right to leave a “mess” wherever they pleased.
Following an epiphany, Blair and McClure floated the slogan “Don’t mess with Texas” as a bold statement against littering. Some at TXDoT were hesitant about adopting the message, fearing it would be perceived as abrasive. Famously, the department considered a neutered version of the slogan, “Please don’t mess with Texas,” but ultimately decided that the most prolific litterers were unlikely to be dissuaded by demure messaging. The first commercial featuring the “Don’t mess with Texas” slogan ran in 1986, starring blues artist and Texas native Stevie Ray Vaughan — the first of many Texas-born artists to promote the message.
As it turns out, a bold message was exactly what the campaign needed. Since that first ad, the message has been spread by a laundry list of celebrities and can be found on signage and merchandise across the state. TXDoT credits the campaign for the significant decline in littering in the decades following its launch (though a hefty fine to drive home the message certainly didn’t hurt). It was a massive success, by all accounts. As such, the department has historically been quite protective of the slogan’s use, especially as the internet began to spark recognition of the phrase outside state lines.
Clearly, “Don’t mess with Texas” resonated with its intended audience — perhaps a bit too strongly. By the turn of the millennium, the phrase was suffering from its own success. It had become so deeply synonymous with Texas itself that its anti-littering message was becoming quickly diluted.
Though the department’s lawyers claimed in 2003 that the internet was helping it identify illegal use of the slogan, the truth was that the web was also complicating the TXDoT’s ability to maintain the purity of its messaging. The phrase was taking on a life of its own as a testament to Texan pride and patriotism. Meanwhile, the web was giving the phrase unwanted visibility outside of its environmentalist context.
Surprisingly, despite the popularity of the slogan, the state didn’t trademark the phrase until 2000. However, with the trademark in hand, the TXDoT legal team aggressively cracked down on infringement. From 2003-2004 alone the department issued 22 cease-and-desist letters to retailers who were capitalizing on the trademark, and to date has apparently issued over 100 such letters in the interest of maintaining control over their slogan’s message. However, 15 years of unfettered virality had almost certainly weakened the department’s ability to ensure the phrase stayed connected with its purpose.
A decade of Reddit threads expressing surprise at discovering that “Don’t mess with Texas” originates from an anti-littering campaign more or less proves that the TXDoT was never able to fully take it back from Texans themselves, who appropriated the phrase as a symbol of the state itself. While this might seem like a damnation of the slogan’s effectiveness, the reality is quite the opposite. After all, the slogan is still attached to the TXDoT today and still helps to promote awareness that keeps trash off Texas land.
The most memorable marketing campaigns can outlive the products they’re attached to. Is there a current or defunct marketing campaign that comes to mind for you? Share your favorites in the comments!
