Posted on 11/14/2005 5:50:52 PM PST by Cagey
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- Make us a slogan we can't refuse, the state of New Jersey said. We got your slogan right here, the people replied.
A push to come up with a new slogan for the Garden State has become an excuse to crack New Jersey jokes. Among the not-so-serious entries:
"New Jersey: You Got a Problem With That?"
"NJ: How You Doin'?!"
"Most of Our Elected Officials Have Not Been Indicted."
The search yielded more than 4,000 possibilities in all, many of them attempts to sum up the land of Bruce Springsteen, "The Sopranos" and smelly interstates in one pithy phrase. The deadline for submissions was Monday.
The program began last month after acting Gov. Richard J. Codey rejected a consultant's recommendation -- "New Jersey: We'll Win You Over" -- as too negative. That slogan, developed as part of a $260,000 contract by global image consultants Lippincott Mercer, was shelved a day before it was to be unveiled.
Instead, the state opened the process to the public, establishing a Web site and telephone hot line to receive suggestions, which included the lyrical ("The Ocean, The Motion, The Magic") along with the satirical.
New Jersey, which once used "New Jersey and You: Perfect Together," has not had a new marketing slogan in four years. "Get Away, Without Going Far Away" has been used in the interim, but tourism officials say it does not resonate with out-of-staters.
"We have the opportunity to craft a new message for our tourist literature to reflect the pride we have in our many parks, open spaces, farmlands, quaint villages, boardwalks and beaches and our exciting cities," Codey implored would-be slogan writers on the Web site.
The governor and the state Commerce, Economic Growth and Tourism Commission will "pare down the suggestions and go from there," said Karen Wolfe, a commission spokeswoman.
The state's musical legacy -- Frank Sinatra called New Jersey home, Springsteen still does -- led one person to suggest "From Ol' Blue Eyes to the Boss: Jersey Is Singing Your Song." Another entry: "Born to Fun."
Others found New Jersey's reputation for mobsters, toxic waste sites and lowbrow taste fair game. "Bada Bing! Choose New Jersey" was one suggestion.
The campaign was run by the state, but newspaper columnists, talk radio and "Saturday Night Live" got into the spirit, too. "New Jersey: It Always Smells Like This," one Philadelphia Inquirer reader suggested. "New Jersey: Come Glow With Us," another said.
New Jersey: More Citizens Under Witness Protection Program Than in Any Other State!
Your right...I visited the shore area a few times and enjoyed it..until I met a few "Pineys"
New Jersey: We account for 62% of the nations Drakar Noir sales.
New Jersey: Where hairspray still reigns supreme.
New Jersey: Find Hoffa, win a trip to New York (I posted this one a few posts ago but thought you might enjoy it).
New Jersey: Stick it out!
The imagery alone... :)
IMHO if you get far enough away from the cities, you'll find rednecks anywhere. The mountains in central PA just make for more :^)
Not to put a pall on the proceedings, but consider that it is the "rednecks" - N & S, E & W - who are doing three things, the last most important:
1) Playing major league baseball.
2) Singing country.
3) Saving our bottoms in Iraq and elsewhere.
Oh, I'm not dissing rednecks, LOL. It's only too bad there weren't more...latte-sipping, Volvo-driving, tax-loving libs they ain't :^)
I was born and raised there. At the South Jersey shore. It is beautiful there. It was wonderful to grow up there.
New Jersey: Run away. Run away.
Free Huck. At least he's loyal.
NJ ~ Taxes R Us
New Jersey PING!!!
New Jersey - Because they needed somewhere to put the road from New York to Philadelphia...
Well the whole thread is funny, but I didn't burst out laughing until I read your post. But I'm allowed to laugh because I just moved from New Jersey after living there for two years. Based on my experience I'll contribute this....
New Jersey....It could be worse.
My New Jersey slogan: "Bayonne, its not Kinshasa!"
New Jersey: Where there is always a diner to go to after last call.
"America Stops Here"
Yeah, there are some clever responses to this thread, and then there's "New Jersey: Our Politicians are Corrupt!" and other "contributions" which don't really show much effort.
New Jersey: Beats North Korea!
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