And so, the unfolding drama as to what New Jersey’s new state motto will be has come to an end. The winner: "New Jersey….come see for yourself." Now, let’s see… should I come see for myself the gas tank farms that blight the NJ Turnpike, the bumper-to-bumper traffic outside the Lincoln Tunnel at rush hour or, perhaps, the unprecedented number of toxic waste sites?
Regardless of the unintended double meaning, NJ’s new motto got me to thinking about other taglines from hell. Who can forget:
"We want you to live" (Mobile Oil)
"Why fool around with anyone else?" (FedEx)
"Eat Jimmy Dean" (Jimmy Dean Sausage)
Or how about these for possibilities…
"Fox News….Right is right, dammit"
"Enron…Watch us multiply"
"Pol Pot…Over 10 million killed"
Double entendres serve as great taglines when they’re clever and communicate a double positive. Sadly, though, NJ’s new moniker only reinforces an already horrific reputation and leaves the state open to further ridicule. Sad as it may be New Jersey’s reputation as a dump is well earned and until they begin to clean things up, the most clever words in the world won’t make any difference.
Hah, Houston’s recent motto was “Houston – It’s worth it” alongside sillouettes of giant cockroaches, tornadoes and rising thermometers. That campaign got a lot of attention, but I don’t think it convinced too many businesses to relocate here.