Walter White is back with a mission.
This week, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham joined state and city officials to announce the launch of a statewide beautification campaign, featuring the return of award-winning actor Bryan Cranston as Walter White from AMC's "Breaking Bad" television series.
The "Breaking Bad Habits" anti-litter campaign focuses on reducing litter and beautifying New Mexico. A conference on Thursday included the premiere of two television ads featuring Cranston as Walter White, directed by "Breaking Bad" creator Vince Gilligan. The ads depict Walter White picking up trash while channeling the alter-ego "Heisenberg."
As part of the $3 million campaign, the state has the license to use the "Breaking Bad" franchise and "Heisenberg" character for merchandise.
The new campaign will include billboards, advertising on city buses, social media ads, and Heisenberg-themed shirts. There will also be a cleanup challenge that involves volunteers from Santa Fe Public Schools, Boys and Girls Clubs, state agencies, community organizations and inmate work crews.
The campaign hopes to push New Mexicans to bolster cleanup efforts around freeways highways, and parks.
Albuquerque's recent city-led clean-up efforts saw as many as one thousand employees pick up around 38 tons of trash in just one week.
The governor hopes the "Breaking Bad" theme will help get New Mexicans excited and seriously considering cleaning up in a bigger way.
"This is recognizable in a way that gets New Mexico grants, additional recognition, additional recognition for beauty, additional recognition for filmmaking," said Gov. Grisham.
A new website has been launched as the center of the campaign. Residents can learn about the campaign, report illegal dumping, sign up for volunteer cleanup events and more at the new website.
Bryan Cranston is expected in New Mexico this weekend as he's being honored with a lifetime achievement award at the Santa Fe International Film Festival on Saturday.