Origin
An image supposedly showing a poorly designed anti-drug / pro-pizza sign is frequently circulated on the internet with mocking comments. The sign features two Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Rafael and Donatello, and a slogan that appears to read: "Say Pizza to Drugs, Say No to Yes."
The wording on this sign has been digitally altered. The original image featured the slogan "Say no to drugs, say yes to pizza," although its rendering was still a bit confusing.
The original photograph dates back to 2014, when it was shared to Scavengedluxury, a Tumblr page that frequently featured street photography from around Nottingham, England. Here's a look at the altered image (left) and the genuine photograph (right):
While the intended message on this poster was clearly, "Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Pizza," the barrier in the middle of the poster leads some people to read it as, "Say No Say Yes, To Drugs to Pizza." This led to some shares on comedy sites such as 9gag, and eventually, the image was photoshopped to have an even less clear message.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have a long history of peddling pizzas. TMNT video games and movies have featured product placement for Domino's Pizza and Pizza Hut. The Turtles have also starred in a number of Pizza Hut commercials and advertising campaigns. The Turtles have also been part of anti-drug campaigns.
It's unclear when the Turtles started using the "Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Pizza" slogan, but we've found a few pizzeria advertisements from the late 1980s that also featured this slogan.