Official Don't Mess with Texas Merchandise Benefits Litter Prevention
- 12.14.04
Proceeds will assist in funding the Texas Department of Transportation campaign
(AUSTIN)—"Don't Mess with Texas" is a straightforward litter-prevention slogan that, while often imitated, is a true original. Now the same thing can be said of merchandise showcasing the popular phrase.
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) announced today that a line of adult and children's T-shirts, hats and mugs is available for the first time in the litter-prevention campaign's history. The merchandise is being sold online at www.dontmesswithtexas.org, and orders placed by Dec. 16 with standard shipping will be delivered by Dec. 24.
A portion of merchandise sales will help fund the Don't Mess with Texas litter-prevention campaign. This is the only Don't Mess with Texas merchandise sold that helps keep Texas clean.
"Too many people, not just in Texas but nationally, don't realize Don't Mess with Texas was created nearly 20 years ago as a litter-prevention slogan for TxDOT," said TxDOT Travel Division Director Doris Howdeshell. "The slogan has since been borrowed by many in the souvenir world, but now for the first time TxDOT is offering an official line of quality Don't Mess with Texas merchandise that in turn keeps Texas roadsides beautiful."
About the Merchandise
The first official Don't Mess with Texas merchandise line features the items below, with more products to follow based on popularity of the initial offerings.
Consumers can identify the official merchandise by its logo, which features the words "Don't Mess with Texas" inside a red oval accented by a blue star containing a highway lane stripe. The logo also bears a trademark symbol. All official merchandise is tagged with a litter- prevention message.
- T-shirts: Youth sizes S-L; Adult sizes S-4XL: $11–22.50 depending on size and color (black or navy shirt with white logo, gray shirt with black logo, or white shirt with full-color logo)
- Baseball caps: Navy cap with color logo: $16
- Travel mugs: 16 and 20 oz. white plastic with color logo: $8–8.50 depending on size
In addition to this merchandise, free Don't Mess with Texas bumper stickers and litterbags are also available at www.dontmesswithtexas.org.
According to TxDOT research, 96 percent of Texans know the Don't Mess with Texas slogan, but only 75 percent know it means "don't litter."
"While we're glad our slogan has become so popular, it's sometimes used to signify state pride rather than litter prevention," said Howdeshell. "We hope having official merchandise tagged with a litter-prevention message will help people remember the slogan's true meaning."
The campaign has helped reduce roadside litter by 52 percent in Texas since 1995, but 1 billion pieces of litter still accumulate on state highways each year, costing Texas taxpayers approximately $38 million in annual cleanup costs.
About Don?t Mess with Texas
The Don't Mess with Texas litter-prevention campaign targets Texans ages 16 to 24, whom research shows to be the state's worst litterers.
Campaign elements include TV, radio and outdoor advertisements, the latest of which feature the message "One billion pieces of litter each year. Zero good excuses." For the past two summers, the Don't Mess with Texas Road Tour has toured the state in a truck or RV, stopping at fairs and festivals to teach young Texans about litter prevention through games and activities.
Other campaign efforts include the Don't Mess with Texas Campus Cleanup—an annual litter cleanup event for Texas colleges and universities—and a Don't Mess with Texas Scholarship for high school students.
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TxDOT's Don't Mess with Texas litter-prevention campaign has been educating Texans about litter prevention since 1986. For more information, visit www.dontmesswithtexas.org.
