After sifting through nearly 8,000 proposed state slogans that ran the gamut from colloquial — "NJ: How You Doin'?!" — to the cynical — "Most of Our Elected Officials Have Not Been Indicted" — the acting governor revealed the five finalists of a statewide contest Wednesday. All five potential tag lines are a bit more serious than some of those submitted by state residents, who also will get to choose the winner. Acting Gov. Richard J. Codey explained that the billions of dollars tourism contributes to the state merits a more straight-laced slogan.
I guess accuracy isn't a criterion, so "Most Many Of Our Elected Officials Have Not Been Indicted" is out of the running... |
"As residents, we already know New Jersey is a great place to work, live and play," he said. "We have everything here — except a catch phrase that communicates our unique charm to tourists."
| Ah, da unique charm of Hoboken... |
Codey launched the contest for a new tourism slogan after rejecting as too negative the one a marketing company was paid $260,000 to drum up. Codey said that "New Jersey: We'll Win You Over," reminded him of when he was single and would ask girls out on a date.
| How about "We'll always have Hackensack"? |
| There's a scene in "The Producers" where Bialystock and sidekick are proudly standing in front of a display of all their failed plays. My favorite: "South Passaic". |
So, the acting governor invited residents to try their hands at creating a slogan that will be used on signs and Web sites promoting the Garden State. The finalists are:
"New Jersey: Expect the Unexpected."
| Well. I certainly didn't expect that one to be on the list... |
"New Jersey: Love at First Sight."
| Yeah. I can see that on a billboard in Trenton... |
"New Jersey: Come See for Yourself."
| Danger! Danger! Y'gotta get through Maryland and Delaware and Pennsylvania to do that... |
"New Jersey: The Real Deal."
| I can easily see that one turning raw, if y'know whudda mean... |
And,
"New Jersey: The Best Kept Secret."
| I can picture thousands, even millions of people muttering "Dere's a reason fer dat!" |
Residents can vote for the tag line they like best by calling 609-984-9893 or by going to the Web site www.nj.gov/slogan through Jan. 1. Saying he'd vote for "Love at First Sight," Codey joked that no woman ever experienced such a sensation upon meeting him. The person who submitted what turns out to be the winning slogan will receive prizes, which could include tickets to a Nets basketball game and a weekend at a Shore bed-and-breakfast. "We'll make it worth their while," Codey said. |