S&S also took a swipe at those fuelling a social media backlash, arguing the concept was never intended to be viewed through their eyes. The "Stoner Sloth" campaign has attracted attention around the world. Credit:stonersloth.com.au "The videos we created were designed as part of a preventative campaign specifically for teens; the audience is not for adults or long-term cannabis users," said a spokesman. "Two different creative approaches were pre-tested by independent researchers among the teenage target audience, which verified the potential efficacy for this campaign." Launched last week under the slogan "you're worse on weed", the campaign warns teens of the dangers of regular marijuana use by portraying those who smoke it as grumbling, disconnected "stoner sloths".

It has since generated 4 million views on Facebook and YouTube as well as a further 30,000 Facebook likes. The anti-marijuana campaign depicts a stoned sloth failing in class. Credit:stonersloth.com.au Meanwhile, international news agencies from the BBC to Time magazine,have reported on the campaign. It also sparked some 25 parody videos that have been viewed almost 100,000 times. "The videos have truly gone viral," said the S&S spokesman who added: "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." An image from the state government's "Stoner Sloth" campaign. Credit:stonersloth.com.au

Another creative agency behind the project, UM, which oversaw media buy, strategy and social media, is also interpreting the "strong viewership and engagement" as a success. "While it's early days, our research shows the majority of negative comments are not from our target audience, which is teenagers," said a UM spokesperson. The RTA's anti-speeding initiative became one of NSW's most successful campaigns. Fairfax Media sought comment from neutral experts in the advertising industry. "The problem is that whenever a campaign is sent up and greeted with howls of derisive laughter, you've got a major problem," said award-winning advertising writer Jane Caro, who added the target audience would be "completely aware" that the sloth concept had been rubbished.

Illustration: Matt Golding. She pointed to the infamous Roads and Traffic Authority 'Little Pinkie' adverts – which belittled men who speed – as a campaign geared towards young people that "genuinely worked". "It worked because it took risks. It was a little bit rude," she said. "Whereas this feels parental. It is trying to be safe. You can see how inoffensive it is trying to be. And the problem with being inoffensive is, it becomes lame." But marketing and advertising consultant Toby Ralph, who has worked on numerous large health education campaigns, believes the "mudslide of criticism" has been largely unjustified.

"My opinion, for what it is worth, is that it is a good campaign. All this is doing is saying that some heavy weed smokers can become boring as bats---, and I think it does it well." Matt Noffs, meanwhile, whose Noffs Foundation specialises in drug treatment for youngsters, described the mockery as "fair feedback" from a wider community who viewed the videos as a "waste of money". "For less than the cost of this campaign, we run street universities that help hundreds of kids off drugs," he said, adding: "The biggest issue I have with this campaign is that it stigmatises children with drug issues."