The "Don’t Mess With Texas" anti-littering campaign is no stranger to "The Best Work You May Never See" gallery (SHOOT, 11/5/99, p. 15). But rather than using broad comedy, this time around the creative approach distills littering down to its crude roots: disrespecting the environment. An up-close and personal perspective conveys a deep sense of what that disrespect represents.
We open on Texas’ vast expanse, shot cinematically with a letterbox perspective to accentuate the wide-open range and limitless horizon. In the background stands a three-piece band, and we hear a, heartfelt vintage vocal rendition of "Deep in the Heart of Texas." The camera reveals a little girl in a pale pink dress, surrounded by the natural beauty of the Texas landscape.
Then appearing against this backdrop—slightly reminiscent of George Stevens’ classic feature Giant—is a super, which begins to pose a question: "If your Daughter were Texas …" A man walks into the picture and dumps half a hamburger on the girl, staining the front of her dress with ketchup. A second super completes the query, "… would you litter?"
For a moment, the little girl almost seems to be holding back tears. Poignantly, the impact of littering hits home. Titled "If Your Daughter Were Texas," the spot concludes with an LP spinning on a turntable. The record label reads, "Don’t Mess With Texas," and the strains of "Deep in the Heart of Texas" fade out.
The two other spots in the campaign are cut from the same conceptual cloth, posing the questions, "If Your Grandfather Were Texas, Would You Litter?" and "If Your Girlfriend Were Texas, Would You Litter?" The grandfather stoically endures a barrage of garbage spewed out from a large shredding machine, while the girlfriend suffers the ignominy of having an ashtray emptied on her head.
If your loved ones were the State of Texas, you wouldn’t dump trash on them. And if you love your state, why litter?
Sean Mullens conceived and directed the campaign, which he successfully pitched to the Texas Department of Transportation. Mullens helms spots via bicoastal Brand, a sister shop to bicoastal Headquarters. He additionally served as creative director, art director and copywriter via Austin, Texas-based agency EnviroMedia. Sara Beechner, managing director of EnviroMedia, was agency producer on the job.
Director Mullens has a creative pedigree. He made his first industry mark on the agency side of the business, most notably with FCB San Francisco, where his creative endeavors included TV spot work for Levi’s. From there, he made the transition to helming commercials.
Mullens’ support team at Brand included executive producer Bryan Farhy and producer J.J. Morris. The campaign was lensed by DP Kristian Kachikas.
The three spots were edited by Gigi Cone Welch, who at the time was with charlieuniformtango (CUT), Dallas and Austin. She has since joined Mad River Post/Dallas (SHOOT, 5/10, p. 8).
Jim Eberle of CUT’s Dallas operation served as online editor. Joe Malina and Nicolas Smith of Match Frame, Austin, were colorist and assistant colorist, respectively. Audio mixer/engineer was Marty Lester of Tequila Mockingbird, Austin. Music composer was Danny Levin of Tequila Mockingbird.
Already, the "Don’t Mess With Texas" campaign has picked up a local Gold Addy Award. And talks are underway to produce similarly themed anti-litter spots for other states.
