But of course the street brings with it connotations beyond fashion statements or the latest music trend; partying, and often drug use are integral to the lifestyles oft associated with contemporary hip. This makes the task of the Partnership For A Drug Free America (PDFA) all the more challenging.

PDFA is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that relies on donations from the advertising and communications industries. Since 1987, the partnership has distributed hundreds of commercials produced on a pro-bono basis to TV stations across the US, relying on donated airtime to get them in front of young people. Never in this time have the messages sent out said, "Don't Do Drugs"; the PDFA prefers a less blunt approach, which is of course necessary to maintain a credible, non-preachy voice.

"We sometimes think kids know more than we do," says Bea Bartolotta, director of creative development for PDFA. "We did one spot, 'Okay To Pass' [directed by DNA's Frances Lawrence], that generated a lot of positive feedback from kids because they felt it wasn't about adults trying to understand their world and spoke credible language, plus a range of ethnic audiences were represented.

"When it comes to credibility, kids don't know a lot about the Partnership. All spots are signed Partnership For A Drug Free America, but we are not a brand. We are not promoting the organization, but the idea. Rather than coming across as an authoritarian anti-drug organization, our idea is to get into the psyche of these kids and understand their struggles."

Bartolotta references the book Millennial's Rising: The Next Great Generation by Neil Howe and William Strauss as a solid tome about the demograhic cohort born in or after 1982. She notes that many in this so-called Millennial group are very serious about their future and see drug use as a weekend activity valuable as a way to blow off steam. While many campaigns produced by the PDFA approach individual problem drugs that are increasingly popular among American youth, such as ecstasy or crystal meth (see Method Acting, pg. 29), the organization is looking at ways of addressing the societal or cultural forces that make drug use appealing.

"Working with Bartle Bogle Hegarty, New York, we've undertaken research on how to get out of the trap of addressing the drug du jour. Ecstasy or crystal meth are huge problems, but there is a bigger idea. We want to know if there is a strategy or work we can create that doesn't talk about a specific drug, but the reasons or motivations why kids want to use them," says Bartolotta. "That's our big idea right now, putting together an aggressive idea for a creative brief with the idea of getting to the reasons of why kids use."

An ongoing campaign out of Merkley Newman Harty, New York asked teens, "What's your anti-drug?" The campaign began in August 2000 and has continued with two new spots offering up drawing and dreams for the future as possible anti-drugs. "My Future" was animated by Curious Pictures with James Patterson of Context Studios directing. "Drawing" was produced by London's Bermuda Shorts and Jordan Caldwell Films, with Christoph Simon directing.