‘That’s Fentalife!’ outdoor campaign storms San Francisco with scathing take on fentanyl crisis

A new outdoor campaign in San Francisco takes a faux-cheery approach to the city’s growing fentanyl crisis—with deeply satirical messaging calling on elected officials to do more to address it, under the theme “That’s Fentalife!” The agency Partners in Crime did the creative work. Headlines such as “The layoffs don’t appear to have hit the drug dealers” and “No yelling while selling drugs—kids are trying to sleep around here” call attention to the open-air drug markets that continue to exist in the city, despite promises by Mayor London Breed and California Gov. Gavin Newsom to crack down on them. The ads were created on behalf of TogetherSF Action, a civic engagement and advocacy organization, with support from a citywide coalition of Tenderloin-based organizations, community leaders, merchants and public health and recovery experts. All billboard and wall space was donated by community and business members. The campaign, which broke Tuesday, runs through the city’s budget process at the end of June and is intended to push elected leaders into prioritizing addressing the humanitarian crisis on the streets. Cillboards and street-level ads will appear in high-traffic areas in the Tenderloin and South of Market neighborhoods. “We can no longer turn a blind eye to the devastating consequences of San Francisco’s approach to ending open-air drug markets and helping those suffering from addiction. We must demand more from our city leaders because our communities and neighborhoods are living and breathing this inhumane reality daily,” said Kanishka Cheng, executive director and co-founder of TogetherSF Action. “Our campaign and coalition aims to end the toxic status quo and empower residents to hold our elected officials accountable to building a safe and healthy San Francisco.” The ads include information on the city’s “failed” drug policies, overdose fatality rates (they were up 36% through April this year compared to the same period last year) and rising fentanyl sales. QR codes help passersby contact elected officials with a detailed list of budget items necessary to address the crisis. “Open drug markets prevent SF’s revival. City Hall must make their closure a top priority,” said Randy Shaw, executive director of the Tenderloin Housing Clinic. “Too many of our elected officials care more about protecting drug dealers and sidewalk users than they do the residents, small businesses and workers in the Tenderloin, Mid/Market and other heavily impacted neighborhoods.”

‘That’s Fentalife!’ outdoor campaign storms San Francisco with scathing take on fentanyl crisis

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