Stoner Sloth

{{Short description|Australian anti-cannabis public service announcement}} {{Infobox advertising | name = Stoner Sloth | image = Stoner sloth screenshot.jpg | image_size = | caption = | agency = [[Saatchi & Saatchi]] | client = [[New South Wales Department of Premier and Cabinet]] | market = | language = English | media = Television | runtime = | product = | released = 2015 | slogan = | writer = | director = | music = | starring = | production company = | producer = | country = Australia | budget = $500,000 | preceded_by = | followed_by = | website = }} "'''Stoner Sloth'''" was an anti-[[cannabis]] [[public service announcement]] series of three videos, created by [[Australia]]'s [[New South Wales Department of Premier and Cabinet]] in 2015.<ref name="Nudd">{{cite journal|last1=Nudd|first1=Tim|title=Australia's 'Stoner Sloth' Anti-Marijuana Campaign Is an Instant and Classic Fail|journal=AdWeek|date=December 20, 2015|url=http://www.adweek.com/creativity/australias-stoner-sloth-anti-marijuana-campaign-instant-and-classic-fail-168702/|accessdate=April 26, 2017}}</ref><ref name="Hanson">{{cite news|last1=Hanson|first1=Hilary|title='Stoner Sloth' Campaign Is Peak Anti-Marijuana Absurdity|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/stoner-sloth-seems-like-a-joke_us_567424d6e4b06fa6887d0234|accessdate=April 26, 2017|work=[[The Huffington Post]]|date=December 18, 2015}}</ref>

==Content== Each ad begins with a scenario involving people in public places. As everyone is acting "normal", it is all disrupted by Stoner Sloth, a sloth who reacts slowly while moaning. Stoner Sloth is meant to represent the behavior of a stereotypical stoner and its actions are accompanied by a musical cue of a guitar being weakly strummed. The human characters around Stoner Sloth usually react with disgust or disappointment.

==Reception== The creative firm [[Saatchi & Saatchi]] created the ads which "backfired miserably" and were an "instant and classic fail",<ref name="Nudd"/> according to trade publication ''[[Adweek]]''.<ref>{{citation|work=Adweek|title=Saatchi & Saatchi's 'Stoner Sloth' Effort for New South Wales Backfired Miserably| author=Erik Oster |date=December 21, 2015|url=http://www.adweek.com/agencyspy/saatchi-saatchis-stoner-sloth-effort-for-new-south-wales-backfired-miserably/99365}}</ref> The agency defended its ads, which cost $500,000.<ref name="Duff">{{cite news|last1=Duff|first1=Eamonn|title=Saatchi & Saatchi defends $500,000 'Stoner Sloth' anti-marijuana campaign|url=http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/saachi--saachi-defends-500000-stoner-sloth-anti-marijuana-campaign-20151225-gluwrv.html|accessdate=26 April 2017|work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|date=December 27, 2015}}</ref> The [[National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre]] distanced itself from the campaign.<ref name="Wahlquist">{{cite news|last1=Wahlquist|first1=Calla|title='Stoner sloth' anti-drug campaign gets reality check as medical experts walk away|url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/dec/20/stoner-sloth-anti-drug-campaign-gets-reality-check-as-medical-experts-walk-away|accessdate=April 26, 2017|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=December 19, 2015}}</ref>

==See also== * [[Substance abuse prevention]]

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Portal|Australia|Cannabis}} * {{Cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2015/12/27/stoner-sloth-lights-up-internet-cnni-walker-pkg.cnn/video/playlists/internet-freakouts/|title='Stoner Sloth' ad campaign lights up the Internet|date=December 2015|publisher=[[CNN]]}}

[[Category:2010s television advertisements]] [[Category:2015 in Australian television]] [[Category:2015 in cannabis]] [[Category:2015 introductions]] [[Category:Anti-cannabis public service announcements]] [[Category:Australian advertising slogans]] [[Category:Cannabis in Australia]] [[Category:Sloths and anteaters in popular culture]]