‘Don't Mess With Texas’ Launches Contest For New Song

AUSTIN, TEXAS — If you live in the Lone Star State, the iconic "Don't Mess With Texas" campaign is unavoidable. Fore more than 30 years, state officials have forged partnerships with Texas musicians — Grupo Fantasma, Willie Nelson, LeAnn Rimes, George Strait and others — to share the important anti-littering message at the core of each public service announcement.

Now, the search is on for a new amateur musical talent to represent the iconic litter-prevention campaign, Texas Department of Transportation officials said Thursday. The “Don’t mess with Texas” Song Search Contest invites undiscovered Texans to compose an original 30-second song, incorporating the campaign’s anti-litter message. The entries, submitted via video, will be collected online where the public will have the opportunity to vote on their favorites.

“Music has been a part of the ‘Don’t mess with Texas’ campaign from the beginning,” Jeff Austin III, Texas Transportation Commissioner, said in a prepared statement. “We’re excited to expand on this legacy by giving Texans of every walk of life a chance to add their voice to the campaign and share in a fun way how we all have a part to play in keeping our state clean and beautiful.”

The ‘Don’t mess with Texas’ Song Search Contest is presented in partnership with iHeart and Gibson Brands, officials noted. Country superstars, the Randy Rogers Band, and Latin pop and norteño stars, Las Fenix, who are both featured in this year’s “Don’t mess with Texas” campaign, are also lending their time and talent to help discover the campaign’s newest performer.

The “Don’t mess with Texas” Song Search Contest is open to all Texas residents, ages 18 and above, and runs through October 2018. Contest rules can be found at Dontmesswithtexas.org. At the end of the public voting period, two winners will be selected, one English and one Spanish, and awarded a prize package donated by Gibson Brands and iHeart that includes a 2018 Gibson Guitar, the opportunity to appear in a future “Don’t mess with Texas” TV spot with the Randy Rogers Band and Las Fenix, and a performance at an iHeart Live Music Lounge. The Song Search Contest winners will join the ranks of other notable performers featured in the “Don’t mess with Texas” campaign throughout the years.

“Don’t mess with Texas” has been educating Texans about litter prevention since 1986. The campaign is the signature initiative for TxDOT’s litter-prevention initiatives which include Adopt-a-Highway, a grassroots partnership with Keep Texas Beautiful, and the community outreach and cleanup event — the “Don’t Mess with Texas” Trash-Off. For additional information on “Don’t mess with Texas,” visit Dontmesswithtexas.org.

For inspiration, here's good old Willie with his take on the messaging:

George Strait took a minimalist, yet effective, approach:

For its part, Grupo Fantasma approached the musical assignment with an exuberant and infectious Latino beat that may have prompted many to dance their way to the trash receptacle to dispose their trash:

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