South Dakota’s Widely-Mocked ‘Meth. We’re On It’ Campaign Gets the Merch Treatment

Joseph Myers

Since its Monday debut, the “Meth. We’re On It” slogan that South Dakota is using to combat the state’s drug crisis has mostly become a punchline on social media and elsewhere on the internet. As its message takes shape and inevitably leads residents and outsiders to ponder the efficacy of its $449,000 cost, 27 promotional items related to the campaign are now available in a Teespring merch collection, with all but two being apparel.

Since many people have already bashed South Dakota governor Kristi Noem for the whole “Meth. We’re On It” concept, naysayers will likely look at the shirts, stickers and mugs as poorly devised means to make money. (It’s unclear if the Teespring merch is official or if it was designed by a third party looking to cash in. Teespring’s dodgy track record against brand hijacking makes it tough to tell.) Those who wish to commend the initiative, which looks to see South Dakotans as responsible for one another in combating the scourge, however, might see the two dozen-plus items as apt complements to the inclusive mindset that Noem is striving to promote.

While the former seems like an easier approach to take for many, especially considering the temptation to see the idea as one big joke due to the campaign’s wording, the latter thought process might be a better one to entertain if end-users are willing to interpret “Meth. We’re On It” as a way to say that wearers are combining not to be “on” meth but “on” the problem of reining in the addiction scourge.

https://twitter.com/govkristinoem/status/1196600263378903040?s=20

The products themselves are pretty nondescript, all featuring the campaign’s South Dakota outline logo with the slogan inside it. And only one apparel item, a women’s slouchy sweatshirt, is available in a color other than black or gray. Ranging in price from $5.99 for the campaign sticker to $47.99 for the sweatshirt, the limited-edition offerings will undoubtedly become a topic for social media exchanges simply because of their existence and connection to a campaign that, based on tweets (our modern-day measuring stick), has firmly entrenched many in the way-to-go camp and others in the what-were-you-thinking crowd.

https://twitter.com/DecayTLDR/status/1196542861992325120?s=20

As everyone should know, addiction is not a matter to consider lightly, particularly meth addiction, which close to a million people faced in 2017. Business is business, so one wonders where we stand in contemporary society with issuing promotional products that look at the crisis. D.A.R.E. certainly comes to mind as a program that has looked to prosper through promotional material. Is it possible, then, for “Meth. We’re On It” products to represent a new wave of promotional awareness?

Besides, for all the mockery the campaign has endured, Noem is standing by it. And why wouldn’t she? It’s got people talking—and, possibly, wearing the slogan for all to see.

Related posts