• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

26 Meta employees accuse Mark Zuckerberg of using AI to target 8,000 layoffs against workers on medical, parental or family leave

2

FedEx CEO says we are in the middle of the biggest supply chain shift he’s seen in 35 years: ‘We are the referendum’

3

He sold his last company to Palantir. Now he's betting $32 million that robots can fix construction's labor crisis

1

26 Meta employees accuse Mark Zuckerberg of using AI to target 8,000 layoffs against workers on medical, parental or family leave

2

FedEx CEO says we are in the middle of the biggest supply chain shift he’s seen in 35 years: ‘We are the referendum’

3

He sold his last company to Palantir. Now he's betting $32 million that robots can fix construction's labor crisis
Marijuana

Ad Agency Defends Mocked ‘Stoner Sloth’ Anti-Marijuana Campaign

By
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 28, 2015, 2:04 PM ET
Photograph courtesy of New South Wales Department of Premier and Cabinet
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

The advertising agency behind an anti-marijuana campaign aimed at teens is now defending its ads, which have been roundly mocked and criticized online.

New York-based ad agency Saatchi & Saatchi created the “Stoner Sloth” ad campaign in Australia for the New South Wales government’s anti-marijuana efforts, but the video ads quickly went viral after launching last week and became subject to jokes and parody videos. The agency’s video ads show an anthropomorphized sloth struggling to perform simple tasks like passing salt at the dinner table or socializing at a party as well as performing poorly at school. Each ad ends with the same tagline and hashtag combo: “You’re worse on weed #stonersloth.”

Responding online, the ads’ critics have said that they make Australia’s government appear to be out of touch with youths, while proponents of medical marijuana (which the country’s lawmakers recently voted to legalize) have also criticized the ads. The backlash even caused Australia’s National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre to distance itself from the ads, with a statement clarifying that the government agency was not involved in the ads’ production except to “provided an initial basic analysis of other cannabis harms campaigns from Australia and around the world and general recommendations.”

However, Saatchi & Saatchi is still happy with the way the ads turned out. An agency representative told the Sydney Morning Herald over the weekend that the campaign is aimed specifically at keeping teens from using marijuana and is not aimed at “adults or long-term cannabis users.” The ads have certainly reached a wide audience, with countless media mentions and millions of views on Facebook and YouTube. “The unexpected global media attention is now providing a platform for parents and teenagers all over the world to have ‘the conversation’ about cannabis in an engaging way,” the agency rep told the Morning Herald.

About the Author
By Tom Huddleston Jr.
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

Europe optimized its supply chains for cost. Now it must pay for resilience  
Commentarysupply chains
Europe optimized its supply chains for cost. Now it must pay for resilience  
By Richard SaynorJuly 16, 2026
30 minutes ago
school
AIEducation
84% of students use AI for homework. Only 3 in 10 schools have rules for it
By Brett DeJager and The ConversationJuly 16, 2026
60 minutes ago
The landing page of the Visa Stablecoin Platform
CryptoVenture Capital
Exclusive: Visa launches new platform to provide stablecoin services to more than 200 million merchants
By Camila Grigera NaónJuly 16, 2026
1 hour ago
Current price of gold as of July 16, 2026
Personal Financegold prices
Current price of gold as of July 16, 2026
By Danny BakstJuly 16, 2026
2 hours ago
US Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh testifies during a Senate Banking Committee hearing titled "The Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to the Congress" on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on July 15, 2026.
EconomyBonds
Warsh’s Fed plan means it’s time to read the bond market backwards, says Morgan Stanley chief—and it could be great news for borrowers and homeowners
By Eleanor PringleJuly 16, 2026
2 hours ago
inflation
EconomyInflation
Wholesale inflation falls 0.3% in June, but Iran war clouds outlook
By Paul Wiseman and The Associated PressJuly 16, 2026
2 hours ago

Most Popular

26 Meta employees accuse Mark Zuckerberg of using AI to target 8,000 layoffs against workers on medical, parental or family leave
Law
26 Meta employees accuse Mark Zuckerberg of using AI to target 8,000 layoffs against workers on medical, parental or family leave
By Barbara Ortutay, Alexandra Olson and The Associated PressJuly 15, 2026
1 day ago
FedEx CEO says we are in the middle of the biggest supply chain shift he’s seen in 35 years: ‘We are the referendum’
C-Suite
FedEx CEO says we are in the middle of the biggest supply chain shift he’s seen in 35 years: ‘We are the referendum’
By Fortune EditorsJuly 15, 2026
1 day ago
He sold his last company to Palantir. Now he's betting $32 million that robots can fix construction's labor crisis
Innovation
He sold his last company to Palantir. Now he's betting $32 million that robots can fix construction's labor crisis
By Lily Mae LazarusJuly 15, 2026
1 day ago
Jamie Dimon understands why people are anti-rich: 'We have, in fact, left the lower-income folks behind' and 'that's kind of annoying'
Economy
Jamie Dimon understands why people are anti-rich: 'We have, in fact, left the lower-income folks behind' and 'that's kind of annoying'
By Eleanor PringleJuly 15, 2026
1 day ago
MacKenzie Scott, Melinda French Gates, and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are rewriting the rules of billionaire giving—one quietly, one strategically, one very publicly
Newsletters
MacKenzie Scott, Melinda French Gates, and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are rewriting the rules of billionaire giving—one quietly, one strategically, one very publicly
By Sydney LakeJuly 14, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of July 15, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 15, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 15, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.