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NHDOT tried to manufacture rizz in a winter driving advisory. Commenters did not hold back.
"Locked In Alert: It’s giving Ick vibes this morning, Fam," the New Hampshire agency wrote on social media.
A local government agency is trying to make fetch happen. Or as they think the kids say, “rizz.”
Also “Skibbity.” “Sus.” “Ick.” And more.
A recent winter advisory message by the New Hampshire Department of Transportation made waves on social media this weekend over the agency’s, erm, attempt to be hip.
“☃️ Skibbity Weather Warning: Roads Are Slippery Sus This Morning! ☃️” the agency shared in a post to its social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
“Locked In Alert: It’s giving Ick vibes this morning, Fam,” the agency continued in the Saturday morning post, complete with plenty of emojis. “Temps are chilly, and the roads might be on their Frosty Ohio Mew. Stay woke and locked in.”
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The NHDOT went on to offer “Survival Tips for the GOATS”:
“Pull up earlier—don’t get caught slippin’ (literally). ⏰
Slow it down; this ain’t Fast & Furious. 🛞💨
Watch for icy spots, especially on bridges—they’re sus. 🌉👀
Stay safe out there, legends. Don’t let the drip (of ice) mess with your Riz! 💙🔥”
A mixed comment section
Commenters did not hold back in response to the post, immediately responding with memes, digs, and jokes.
“Whoever was in charge of this post better never do anything like that again….” one person responded on Facebook.
“I have never read anything less funny,” another commenter added.
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“It’s not too late to delete this,” another reply read.
Some Massachusetts Reddit users also chimed in, with at least one user posting a screenshot of the agency’s X post and writing, “I think the NHDOT just won the cringiest tweet award.”
Though many were quick to roast the NHDOT’s language and hard-to-forget accompanying “Skibidi Toilet” image (see below, but you’ve been warned), others also jumped to praise the agency for its marketing strategy.
One commenter wrote, “Clearly the marketing worked, you’re all giving them more engagement which just helps this get to more people in the long run. great marketing lol”
“Honestly it wouldn’t have caught my attention if it wasn’t this so the intent worked 😂,” another person responded.
“Idk I think ironically performed better and got more attention than any of their normal alerts. W from the alert team,” someone else replied.
“No this is hilarious, love the effort,” a commenter added.
‘More than 2 million views’
When reached for comment by email, NHDOT confirmed that its goal was to “communicate an important safety message about winter driving conditions in a way that grabs attention — particularly from younger audiences and parents who are helping shape the next generation of safe drivers.”
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“The response to the post has been a mix of laughs, head-tilts, and plenty of shares, which is exactly what any marketing team hopes for when working to deliver an effective message,” noted Jennifer Lane, the agency’s chief communications officer. “Reaching more than 2 million views demonstrates the success of this approach in amplifying an important reminder about safe driving in winter weather.”
As others accurately pointed out in the comments, this post — ick aside — garnered much more attention than previous winter weather advisories from the agency.
NHDOT shared a post Friday night about the weather which had 31 likes and 11 shares on Facebook, six likes on Instagram, and just one like on X.
Meanwhile, Saturday’s “Skibbity Weather Warning” received major engagement across the agency’s social media accounts. On Facebook, for example, there were close to 10,000 reactions, more than 3,000 comments, and more than 4,000 shares as of Tuesday.
“For this particular post, we opted for a lighthearted, creative approach to stand out and draw attention to a topic that’s critical during the winter months,” Lane wrote. “The results also provided us with a valuable opportunity for A/B comparative testing, as the night before we shared a similar message in a traditional format that garnered significantly fewer reactions. This comparison confirmed that trend-inspired, creative content resonates more broadly and helps spread critical information further and faster.
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“While we understand that responses to innovative messaging can vary, we are committed to exploring fresh ways to communicate important public safety information effectively; this strategy is part of our ongoing effort to connect with as many people as possible and ensure that critical messages stick,” the spokesperson noted.
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