Situation
Methamphetamine is a powerfully addictive stimulant that dramatically affects the central nervous system. It is a synthetic drug that can be made from common ingredients in meth “labs” that range from barns to garages to kitchens to vans. The drug is extremely dangerous, both while being manufactured and as it is ingested.

Especially in the Midwest, and in Indiana in particular, the meth problem is taking a huge toll on public resources such as law enforcement agencies, jails, foster homes and welfare agencies. It is affecting every citizen because of the rise in crime associated with meth use; the danger from meth labs, which can show up anywhere, in any neighborhood; the drain on public services and tax dollars; and even the increase in insurance rates.

In 2003, Vigo County led the state of Indiana in the number of meth lab busts, thanks to the efforts of the Vigo County Drug Task Force, but the problem continues to grow as more people become first-time meth users.

Problem
A coalition made up of the Vigo County Drug Task Force, the Terre Haute Police Department, the Vigo County Sheriff’s Department and the Vigo County Prosecutor’s Office felt an advertising campaign would provide an additional weapon in the fight against meth use in the area. It obtained a grant from the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute and asked MillerWhite, LLC to create a campaign to educate people who were vulnerable to meth use about the real dangers, before they were tempted to try the drug.

Solution
After several discovery meetings to gain coalition input and insight, MillerWhite designed a campaign under the tag line, “Use METH Lose It All,” which debuted with two billboard designs and two television commercials.

One design is aimed toward women, especially mothers, who often lose their children when they become deeply involved with meth. The billboard depicts a mother holding a baby that has obviously disappeared from the picture, with the message, “Use METH Lose It All.” The television commercial, “Busted,” shows a mother high on meth and her screaming endangered child as police come into the house to bust a meth lab in the kitchen, and a social worker takes the child away.

The second design is aimed toward men, who seem to be generally unaffected by threats of jail or loss of family, but are more affected by the threat of losing their life. The billboard shows a covered body on slab in a morgue, complete with toe tag and the message, “Use METH Lose It All.” The television commercial, “Death Dealer,” shows a young man buying meth, then shooting up and dying violently on a motel room bed.

“While the billboard and TV spot images are quite graphic and even painful to watch, they portray the message we wanted to bring out – the seriousness and the finality that meth use can, and often does, carry with it,” said MillerWhite account executive Ann Marie Foote.

In addition to the billboards and television commercials, production on a radio spot utilizing an actual meth bust storyline is under way and newspaper ads are soon to be developed as a part of a total six-month campaign.

Results
Foote said, “Meth use is an extremely complex problem that unfortunately won’t be solved with billboards and television commercials alone. The media approach aimed at potential meth users is a new tactic. So far, our client is pleased with the public reaction to the spots, and it’s being suggested that this campaign could be utilized statewide in the fight against meth use.”

Jim Walker, director of the Drug Task Force, said most Task Force members had never worked with an advertising agency before and didn't know what to expect. “The thing that impressed me most about working with MillerWhite was that everyone from the account representative to the creative team listened to us,” Walker said. “MillerWhite learned what we wanted and then produced a first rate campaign. I am confident it will be seen and heard by the people we are trying to reach."

By mid-year 2005, meth lab busts in Vigo County were down about 60 percent from the previous year (102 in 2004; 44 in 2005). George Ralston, Terre Haute police chief, attributed the drop to three factors – city and county meth ordinances restricting sales of certain cold medicines used in meth production, continued tough enforcement, and getting more people educated about the realities of meth use. Components of the “Use Meth Lose It All” campaign were seen throughout the county during the last half of 2004.