May 8
...serving up your daily dish.
Remember all the slogan talk? First in Montclair, and then the contest for the state's tag line. We were left with the uninspired "Come See For Yourself" which sounded more like a bad dare than anything else. Now even that's not going to happen. Seems New Jersey picked a slogan formerly associated with the state of West Virginia, a state that gets made fun of almost as much as New Jersey. From the New York Times...
We are proceeding without the slogan," Karen Wolfe, a spokeswoman for the state's Commerce, Economic Growth and Tourism Commission, was quoted as saying in The Press of Atlantic City's Saturday issue. "We will revisit the next steps at the end of the year."
Former Gov. Richard J. Codey unveiled the slogan with great fanfare at a January news conference, just days before he left office.
The slogan was the top choice among 11,227 telephone and online votes cast by residents for five final entries in a statewide contest.
But at an annual tourism conference in Cape May County more than a week ago, the slogan was absent from state promotional materials.
Tourism officials say West Virginia used the phrase in some previous promotions, but now uses "West Virginia: Wild and Wonderful."
The slogan resulted from Mr. Codey's appeal in October for ideas after he rejected a marketing company's proposal for which the state paid about $250,000. He said that slogan, "New Jersey: We'll Win You Over," was negative and reminded him of his own self-deprecating pitch when he asked girls out on dates.
Slogans, doggie parks, township logos, high taxes.
Any questions?
Posted by: Right of Center™ | May 8, 2006 10:43:15 AM
I once had a t-shirt that said it all:
NEW JERSEY: ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE.
Posted by: g | May 8, 2006 11:13:51 AM
The NJ slogan is fun once, but this is at least the fifth story on this theme ("New Jersey: Our Property Taxes can Whoop Yours", "New Jersey: The Wisecracks May Commence", "Your Vote Counts", "New Jersey: It'll Make a Skunk Blush.")
I'm hoping any new slogans offered here will be original and not repeats of those posted on the earlier stories.
Posted by: BeanCounter | May 8, 2006 11:29:34 AM
I thought West Virginia's slogan was "Thank God for Kentucky!"
Posted by: Bill The Cat | May 8, 2006 11:51:44 AM
Hey Iceman,
Yours should be "NJ - It would be better if I had a job"!
Posted by: boiling point | May 8, 2006 12:12:40 PM
Roc, and let's also include the street work done on Plymouth Street that had to be redone because of the dangerous dropoffs to the rock lined drainage ditches created to keep the "historic" look. How much did that cost?
Posted by: BeanCounter | May 8, 2006 12:29:36 PM
They got Bon Jovi to do the latest irritating tourism theme song (Who Says You Can't Go Home?), so why don't they just rip that & be done with it?
Of course I don't quite see how that's supposed to persuade someone from Maine or Iowa to come here if this isn't their home, but that's probably the point: if it sounds stupid to me, most of Jersey will like it.
Posted by: crank | May 8, 2006 12:40:46 PM
New Jersey, twice the goverment at three times the price!
Or if Veronica's pollution figures are to be believed:
New Jersey, 36 times cleaner than Alaska!
Posted by: Right of Center™ | May 8, 2006 1:30:39 PM
New Jersey: Cause we dump on New York and Virginia now.
Posted by: Taylor Ham | May 8, 2006 2:17:53 PM
How about something that promotes the states diversity?
New Jersey: Hello. Hola. Buon Giorno. Namaste. Ni Hao.
Posted by: Stan | May 8, 2006 6:32:41 PM
How about
You don't have to be Einstein to choose NJ, but he did.
Posted by: Bitpusher | May 8, 2006 6:37:49 PM
When I was at the University of VA, there was political pundit and professor named Larry Sabato who relished in ripping on NJ throughout his lectures.
He used to really p- me off. I felt like asking him as to why, if NJ is so horrid, there are so many NJ kids at UVA who are top students? It couldn't be that we were educated in good schools and reared in environments that forced us to become adaptable in any number of situations. Every NJ UVA alum whom I know is remarkably articulate and bright, including our very own Barista!
I hear Sabato on the radio and on TV frequently now. He's remarkably bright, but I can't help but roll my eyes whenever I hear/see him.
Posted by: Dog Mom | May 8, 2006 6:52:30 PM
Ask Prof Sabato if he knows where NJ dumps its garbage. I wonder if he knows the answer is Virginia.
Posted by: Taylor Ham | May 8, 2006 9:06:56 PM
Leno just referenced the slogan story. His take "New Jersey: Dead body? No problem."
Posted by: Butch | May 8, 2006 11:41:15 PM
How about something pre-emptive directed towards all the Larry Sabatos of the world who look down on our flawed yet beloved little state...
NJ: Screw you.
(or to be more authentically New Jerseyan)
NJ: F*k you.
Period, no exclamation mark. Makes it more deadly serious that way.
Granted it may not entice anyone to visit, but it might keep some of those damn New Yorkers out (you know, the ones who move here but won't admit they live in "Jersey" now?)
Actually, the way people drive around here these days, this slogan should replace "Garden State" on our license plates.
Posted by: Pork Roll | May 9, 2006 12:54:05 AM
