I have recently became aware of an unusual initiative to reduce littering that was launched in Texas in the year 1985. To begin, I have no idea anything about the state of Texas. I haven’t even taken a single step onto their property yet. However, according to what I’ve read online, they had a significant problem with littering back then. I can only imagine how filthy the streets were if it got to the point that they had to conduct an entire public campaign about it. Because the situation was so dire, the state had no choice but to shell out $20 million each year to clean up its roadways. That is equivalent to more than $51 million in today’s dollars. And the majority of trash was produced as a result of the actions of younger people. Every Scooby-Doo bad guy would remark “meddling kids” in this situation. Tim McClure, who was also one of the co-founders of GSD&M, was given the responsibility of developing the anti-littering campaign after the Texas Department of Transportation contracted GSD&M, an advertising agency, to produce an anti-littering campaign that targets younger people. At first, he pondered the different ways in which he could launch a brand-new ad while still focusing on the word “litter,” which was driving him crazy. Then, as he was out on a stroll, he reflected on the times when his mother had yelled at him about how his room was usually a mess and it reminded him of those occasions. He believed that the word “mess,” which was more generally used to describe cat litter, would be a better choice to describe waste than the word “litter,” which was more commonly used to describe dog litter. That’s when he had the inspiration for his slogan, which is “Don’t Mess With Texas,” and he went off and came up with it. The Department of Transportation was not interested in the idea when it was presented to them in the beginning. Nevertheless, in 1985 they launched it after finally giving the green light. After being put into action for a number of years, what were the outcomes? Over the course of four years, there was a 71% drop in the amount of litter. However, it is important to understand the reasons why it was successful. My cursory investigation did not turn up any explanations as to why it was successful. Therefore, allow me to quickly explain the reasons why I believe it was successful. When you watch Don’t Mess With Texas, inhabitants of Texas feel a sense of camaraderie and a sense that they belong to something larger than themselves. It’s almost as if they’re advising everyone, “Yes, get off our property!” Don’t become involved in our state’s affairs! Not to mention the fact that a number of famous people got behind the campaign, which helped raise even more people’s awareness of the issue. And whatever celebrities do or get behind, it instantly becomes a hip trend, which young people always love to follow. [C]elebrities have the power to make or break trends. However, when it comes to gaining an understanding of the psychological variables, Joseph Sugarman’s The Adweek Copywriting Handbook is one of the references that I find most helpful to consult. If you are unaware, Joseph Sugarman was one of the most talented copywriters of his era, and he offered live copywriting courses with price tags that ranged from the hundreds to the thousands of dollars. He was kind enough to condense the materials for his class into this book, which he then offered at a price that was both reasonable and generous. Even while the primary focus of the book is on print advertisements, a significant number of the techniques discussed can just as easily be applied to emails or even sales letters. You’ll find a link to more information about it below, which leads to my affiliate page. https://EllisenWang.com/adweek Concerning the author: Ellisen Wang is a writer who specializes in email and is the author of the book “How to Become an Email Titan.” By opting in at EllisenWang.com, you get the opportunity to read sample chapters from the book, learn how to write email copy that your subscribers will never get enough of, and will make them want to buy from you, all of which will increase the likelihood that they will purchase from you. You will also receive daily copywriting, email marketing, and business suggestions when you opt in to receive them. These recommendations will be sent directly to your email inbox. In the event that you do not wish to opt in, you may instead peruse the blog and listen to the audios in order to obtain additional marketing information and instruction.
I love myBlogd
