In the early 1980s, Texas spent $20 million a year cleaning up litter on their streets and highways.

Why? Because people ignored the Keep Texas Beautiful ad campaigns.

So Texas tried out something different. They hired a new ad agency to create a campaign that would speak to the guilty parties—mainly young men who like to break rules.

Rather than trying to convince them to care about the environment or how things look, the campaign featured a slogan that spoke to what those men already believed.

The slogan? Simple: Don't Mess With Texas.

No true Texan would ever litter their own state. It's the outsiders that do the littering.

This Don't Mess with Texas messaging reduced litter by 72%!

Think about that.

How will you change your message to appeal to different audiences? Try to adjust your marketing message to the people you really want to reach.

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