TxDOT salutes 40 years of “Don’t mess with Texas®”

AUSTIN – As football fans watched inside the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 1, 1986, Stevie Ray Vaughan appeared on the screen in the first ad of the most iconic anti-litter campaigns: Don’t mess with Texas.

Now, four decades later, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is celebrating this 40-year milestone with the next generation of artistic talent, Post Malone, starring in the latest Don’t mess with Texas video.

Music superstar Post Malone grew up in Grapevine, Texas, and is a proud and outspoken Texan. He appears in new television and radio public service announcements that will pay tribute to the original launch spot with Stevie Ray Vaughan. The message is the same as it always has been: “Don’t mess with Texas means don’t litter.”

“As we mark the 40th anniversary, it’s wonderful to not only look back at the old commercials that helped spark this iconic message, but see how the newest generation is lending their voice to helping keep our state clean and beautiful,” TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams said. “The Don’t mess with Texas campaign has been incredibly successful over the years, but it’s imperative we continue to remind people that Don’t mess with Texas means don’t litter.”

Launched in 1986, the campaign was created to address the increasing amount of litter along Texas highways by appealing to Texans’ pride and strong connection to the state. Over four decades, “Don’t mess with Texas” has become one of the most successful behavior-change campaigns in history.

A key component of the campaign’s longevity has been its collaboration with influential Texas voices from music, film and popular culture — names like Willie Nelson, George Strait, Eva Longoria, Matthew McConaughey, Joe Jonas, Ethan Hawke and others have helped extend the campaign’s reach and reinforce its message statewide.

As TxDOT celebrates this milestone, we continue our commitment to protecting Texas roadways and encourage everyone to do their part to keep Texas highways clean and beautiful for generations to come. The campaign includes annual “Trash-Off” community litter pick-up events and the Adopt-a-Highway volunteer program.

For more information about the “Don’t mess with Texas” campaign and to view the latest PSAs, visit dontmesswithtexas.org.