A surveillance tag applicator for applying tags to articles such as box blanks, blister cards, or containers at very high rates of speed up to and greater than 1000 tags per minute. The applicator comprises a plurality of tags attached to a web fed to a rotating drum having a plurality of slots, a compression roller for pressing each of the tags into one of the plurality of slots, an ejector arm for ejecting each tag from the slots onto a selected location of an article passing by the drum, a stripper to remove the web from the tags, and a winder assembly for rewinding the web devoid of tags. A first servo motor drives the rotating drum and a second servo motor drives the ejector arm. A controller provides the timing and control for the servo motors and operation of the tag applicator.