A Slogan for the Ages

(Thanks to Susan for the news post)

Have you ever wondered whether people in government take lots and lots of drugs, and that’s why they do the things they do?

This PR campaign from South Dakota will hardly reassure you.

“Meth–We’re on it!’

Once upon a time, Celtic warriors used to gather when they heard the “slogan.” When you heard it, you dropped what you were doing and hurried to the mustering-place. You had to hurry, because the last man who showed up was put to death.

So a slogan is a kind of rallying cry. This, of course, was the intention of the wordsmiths in South Dakota who wished to rally the public against an “epidemic” of methamphetamine–“meth”–abuse. For around half a million dollars, this is what they came up with: “Meth–We’re on it!”

What–the whole state of South Dakota? By “on it,” they meant “dealing with the problem.” Not “addicted to this drug.” But good intentions didn’t save South Dakota’s government officials from being laughed at from sea to shining sea.

Half a million bucks. Heck, for a mere $50,000 I could’ve given ’em, “We’re junkies, dude!” Gov. Kristi Noem says the backlash over the zany slogan has been a good thing, ’cause it “brings awareness.” They trotted it out in November and it has gone down in history with equally confusing slogans. Like that one about Coca-Cola bringing your ancestors back from the dead. People in Southeast Asia found that rather unnerving.

Or how about this one? “You’re in good hands, with government!”

We need a laugh track here.