Instead of successfully warning the public of the dangers of smoking pot, Stoner Sloth has managed to garner a cult following and a slew of parody videos from people who are finding him adorable and endearing rather than slow, dim-witted, and sluggish as the ads suggest.
With the tagline, "You're worse on weed," Stoner Sloth is depicted as unable to perform even the simplest of tasks such as passing the salt at a table, because of smoking up.
However, the campaign immediately and hilariously backfired when Aussies began becoming inspired by their new "hero," and some even suggest that the campaign is likely to "encourage teens to spark up."
Even the Premier of New South Wales in Australia poked fun at the ads, drawing the comparison between the cute Stoner Sloth and another popular furry, walking carpet, from pop culture.
Just saw the #StonerSloth ads. Not sure where NSW Gov's ad guys found Chewbaccas siblings, but those videos are... Quite something.
— Mike Baird (@mikebairdMP) December 19, 2015
To add icing on the space cake, "Stoner Sloth" also happens to be the name of a very popular online website that sells - you guessed it - marijuana.
Although the website for the campaign, https://www.stonersloth.com.au, will take you to the official website which contains all of Stoner Sloth's videos and failed anti-pot messages, removing the Australian extension from the URL takes you directly to the Stoner Sloth website which sells high quality cannabis products and educates new pot users to the benefits and enjoyable experience a good roll of weed can bring.
Kidding aside, although some states like Washington D.C. and Oregon have legalized smoking marijuana with more expected to follow suit, it remains an illegal drug in Australia. According to the Aussie government, the penalties for possession of cannabis include jail time of up to two years and fines amounting up to $1,500.
Check out the compilation of Stoner Sloth campaigns in Australia below.
