When choosing spokespeople for campaigns centered around good civic responsibility, our minds do not drift, automatically, to prolific meth cooks with serious body counts. Sure, the humble meth chef has certain public-minded qualities—industriousness, entrepreneurial spirit, and an all-purpose can-do attitude—but they’re also, uh, drug-peddling murderers. And so it is with some mild shock that we report that New Mexico has hired noted fugitive/murderer/dead person Walter White, who has been tapped to be the face of its new anti-littering campaign.
That’s right: Bryan Cranston has paid back his long-time association with the Land Of Enchantment by appearing in the state’s new “Breaking Bad Habits” campaign, dusting off his old hat, growl, and pissy facial expressions for a pair of shorts in which the Breaking Bad star insists you “Keep litter out of my territory.” And in case you were worried this was some sort of off-brand Walt, rest assured: The shorts, which are full of references to the show, were also directed by Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan. In press statements for the campaign—which also includes billboards featuring the show’s famous “Heisenberg” sketch”—Gilligan and Cranston both clarified that the implied message of the ads is “Do not litter in New Mexico, or Walter White will fucking murder you.”
“Hopefully, folks who see this commercial will take Walt’s hint and think twice before they toss their trash across our beautiful state,” Gilligan stated. “Otherwise, Heisenberg just might come after them!” Cranston: ““Most public service campaigns work using common sense and empathy… that’s not what we did here! Walter White represents a certain threat in the message… but all in good fun.”
Cranston has occasionally joked around with his Walter White image, doing various reunions with his old co-star Aaron Paul that poke at the pair’s legacy with the show. He most recently suited up for real as Walt in 2022, appearing in two episodes of the final season of Better Call Saul.
English (US) ·