State Slogans

I read the other day that the state of Wisconsin recently unveiled a new slogan and a new state logo. This logo was released on Monday by the rather oxymoronic-sounding Wisconsin Department of Tourism.



From the news story:

Coming up with the slogan and accompanying logo — which shows a silhouetted figure doing a cartwheel across letters spelling out Wisconsin — cost $50,000, the state’s brand manager Sarah Klavas said. The money came from the department's annual $10 million marketing budget.

Some thoughts. First of all, Wisconsin spends $10 million on marketing? Per year? What is their target? Who is their target? Secondly, a man doing a cartwheel? Really? Thirdly, the slogan "Live Like You Mean It" - I like it. It’s good. And it’s certainly better than the old Wisconsin slogan (We have cheese, badgers and Favre!).

It made me do some research into other state’s official slogans. These are the actual state slogans that these state's Departments of Tourism paid money to develop. Below them, I have made a few comments of my own.

Arizona – The Grand Canyon State
Original Slogan - Arizona – It’s Gorges. Get it?
When your primary claim to fame as a state is a giant ditch, you have commerce issues.

Delaware – It’s Good Being First
This is a reference to Delaware being the first colony to sign the Declaration of Independence. Again, when the best thing your state did was more than 200 years ago…

Florida – The Sunshine State
Original Slogan – Not just oranges, old people and a whole bunch of drunk kids for a week in Spring.

Illinois – Mile After Magnificent Mile
Original Slogan –The Place that Gave You Lincoln and Obama. Shut up, Hawaii, you’re not taking this from us.

Indiana – Enjoy Indiana.
Original Slogan – What the hell is a hoosier?

Kansas – There’s No Place Like Home
Original Slogan – Conveniently On Your Way to Colorado

Louisiana – Come As You Are. Leave Different.
Original Slogan – Thank God for Mississippi.

Maine – It Must Be Maine
Original Slogan – Our Pollen Count is Super Low Because Ragweed Can’t Grow in These Extreme Conditions

New Jersey – Come See For Yourself
Original Slogan –The Armpit of the Nation

Ohio – The Birthplace of Aviation.
Original Slogan –Seriously, North Carolina, you need to shut up about being first in flight.

Oklahoma – Oklahoma is OK.
Original Slogan –Oklahoma is Mediocre

Rhode Island – Unwind.
Original Slogan –Not a Road. Or an Island.

South Carolina – Smiling Faces. Beautiful Places.
Original Slogan –Still kind of bitter about the Civil War.

Texas – Don’t Mess with Texas.
Original Slogan –Don’t Mess with Texas. Seriously. We all carry firearms.

Utah – This is Still the Right Place
Original Slogan –This is Still the Right Place for Polygamy
Original Slogan 2 –So White, you can Hear It

Virginia – Virginia is for Lovers.
This is ironic, since the word “virgin” in in the state’s name.

West Virginia –Almost Heaven
Okay, what kind of messed up theology do you have to have for West Virginia to be a near representation of heaven?

This whole exercise reminded me of this graph How Californians See America which I thought was funny, and the even more humorous graph How West Virginians See America.

Feel free to suggest other alternative state slogans that I might have missed.