Got a question? We have an answer. We’re like that. We’re from Texas.
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How do you choose your spokespeople?
I love the "Don't Mess with Texas" spots.
How do I get copies?
So, did you get to meet Willie Nelson?
Why haven't I seen any of the ads in my area?
Why do you spend money on advertising? I thought this was a public service campaign.
Logo Usage
I love your logo. How can I use it?
Can I provide a link to dontmesswithtexas.org on my Website?
Questions we always get asked
What is and is not litter?
What are the penalties for littering in Texas? Who enforces these laws?
What are the benefits of the Don't Mess with Texas campaign?
How do you account for cost savings of the campaign?
I am from the media and would like to interview someone from the campaign or receive additional information.
Report a Litterer
What should I do if I see someone littering or notice an excessive
amount of trash in my area?
Can the litterer find out who turned them in?
What will the litterer get in the mail?
How long does it take for the litterer to get the letter?
Will the litterer get a ticket?
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How do you choose your spokespeople?
Don’t Mess with Texas spokespeople are as unique as the state
itself, and they are chosen to appeal to the state’s most
likely litterers.
Consequently, celebrated Texans admired by this group were recruited for the cause. In 1986, blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan was chosen as the campaign’s first television spokesperson. (A complete list of spokespeople, along with the actual spots, can be found here.)
After the Stevie Ray PSA aired on television, the campaign’s popularity increased dramatically and the trail has been star-studded ever since.
The latest research shows Texans under 24 are the now the state’s worst litterers and cynical about celebrity advertising. In response, we kicked off a radically different campaign in January 2002, with new PSAs featuring real Texans and asking them, “If someone you love and respect were Texas, would you still litter?”
I love the "Don't Mess with Texas" spots. How
do I get copies?
If you’ve missed our campaign on the tube, we have a comprehensive TV Vault you can check out.
If you're going to be road-tripping on Texas highways, be on the
lookout for our billboards.
PSA directors, contact us
if you’d like a video or
audio tape.
So, did you get to meet Willie Nelson?
Yes, we did. And he's even cooler in person.
Why haven't I seen any of the ads in my area?
We try to spread the Don't Mess with Texas message to every Texan
in the state, but Texas is huge and there are only so many dollars.
Between TV, outdoor boards and radio, we advertise in almost every metropolitan
area in the state and buy TV ads in Austin, Dallas-Ft. Worth, El
Paso, Houston, San Antonio and the Rio Grande Valley. We also send
our TV ads to stations across the state to use as PSAs. If you'd
like your local station to air our ads, call them and let them know!
Why do you spend money on advertising? I thought this was a public
service campaign.
Don't Mess with Texas is both a public service and an advertising
campaign. The exceptional quality of our ads and hard-earned reputation
allows us to receive at least one free public service announcement
(PSA) for every paid ad we run. We receive an average of $8.9 million
a year in public service airtime, which — over the course
of Don't Mess with Texas' 15 years and counting — translates
to more than $118 million saved.
Logo Usage
I love your logo. How can I use it?
We love it, too. Since the new Don't Mess with Texas logo is
registered with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, anyone
interested in using the logo must first request permission
from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).
The logo may not be used without the expressed consent of TxDOT. For more guidelines or questions, please contact us.
Can I provide a link to dontmesswithtexas.org on my Website?
We appreciate the opportunity to spread the word and we want to
make sure Don't Mess with Texas is used in the right way. So
please
contact us with your
URL and let us know how you plan to use it. Keep in mind that
if you wish to use the logo on your site you must also request
permission from TxDOT (see the previous question).
Questions we always get asked
What is and is not litter?
Litter is trash that is not disposed of properly in a trash can.
When it's in the can, it becomes garbage. Anywhere else, it's litter.
Just to be clear, the following is definitely and undeniably LITTER:
Cigarette butts – they’re small but they’re a nuisance
Gum – c’mon, people
Apple cores – even though they’ll decompose
UFT – Unidentified Flying Trash that flies out of a car window
or truck bed—accidentally or otherwise—is litter
What are the penalties for littering in Texas? Who enforces these
laws?
Littering is against the law and you can be fined up to $500 (as
you may have seen on those blue Don't Mess with Texas signs).
Repeat the offense, and you could face a fine of up to $2,000
and 180 days in jail.
It gets worse.
Discarding trash that weighs more than five pounds
is considered illegal dumping and carries even steeper fines.
In Texas, failing to cover your pickup-truck load is against the
law and carries a fine of up to $200 for the first offense and
$500 for repeat offenders.
Any law enforcement officer in Texas can enforce these laws. As
a citizen, you can report offenses, too.
What are the benefits of the Don't Mess with Texas campaign?
That’s easy. Renewed pride in the Lone Star State by its own
citizens. Other benefits include the $8.9 million per year in free
public service airtime, the $8.4 million taxpayers saved on litter
pickup costs in 2000, and a 52 percent reduction in litter since
1995. Way to go!
How do you account for cost savings of the campaign?
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) bases cost savings
on an estimate of litter-pickup costs per acre issued by the Federal
Highway Administration. We adjust this estimate for annual cost
of living increases and compare to our actual litter control expenditures.
Texas is huge and TxDOT maintains some 1,100,000 acres—more
than any other state department of transportation. As you can imagine,
whenever we cut our per-acre costs, it makes quite an impact. For
example, in 2000, we saved more than $8 million in litter-pickup
costs.
I am from the media and would like to interview someone from the
campaign or receive additional information.
Call us! We'd love to help with your coverage of litter issues in
Texas. We can provide your news organization with quotes, photographs,
updated statistics and in-depth perspective on the subject. Contact
us at 512.476.4ENV. (4368)
Report a Litterer
What should I do if I see someone littering or notice an excessive
amount of trash in my area?
For the most part, you shouldn’t try to approach a blatant
violator on your own. If you see someone litter on Texas highways,
you can turn them in through the Texas Department of Transportation’s
Report a Litterer program. The litterer will receive a litterbag
and note reminding them not to mess with Texas. Learn
how here.
If you notice litter in your community or on city streets, please
contact your city government.
Can the litterer find out who turned them in?
Your submission is strictly confidential. The litterer will not
be able to find out who submitted his or her name.
What will the litterer get in the mail?
After the report is processed, the litterer will receive a letter
in the mail reminding them about the incident and a Don't Mess with
Texas litterbag. Information about state litter laws will also be
included.
How long does it take for the litterer to get the letter?
Depending on monthly volume, the report could take 2-4 weeks to process.
Will the litterer get a ticket?
No, the litterer will not receive a ticket. Texas law enforcement
officials are the only people authorized to enforce the litter abatement
act.
