March 15, 2006
WA Iz Wussup
After what one official calls a "long and arduous" effort, the state of Washington has come up with a new tourism slogan: "SayWA."
As in "Say What?"
"Thirty-five years ago I smoked dope and probably could have come up with something like that," said Darrell Bryan, general manager of Victoria Clipper, the largest tour operator in the Northwest. "To me, it's better to have no slogan than to come up with something like that. There's too much scratching the head about 'What does that mean?"' Certainly, the classic tourism slogans - "I (heart) NY," "What happens here, stays here" - aren't so opaque. "Virginia is for lovers," Bryan said. "I don't know if it's true, but it's catchy."
As long as we're using dated jargon, I think I prefer "WA Iz Wussup." Better still, how about: "Water, Mountains, and Wine." What's your idea of a good tourism slogan for Washington State?
Hat tip: Skor Grimm.
Posted by Matt Rosenberg at March 15, 2006
12:02 PM | Email This
1.
"Our weather is better than Oregon's!"
"Not all of us are serial killers."
"You have to come here to get to Alaska anyway."
2. So nice, Californians wont stay away!
3. Thanks for the link!
My blog should be working now. Also it may help if you leave the "www." off the front of the link.
4. "Washington; A nice place to visit, but don't even THINK about starting a small business here!"
5. "We're not all nuts, just the ones we elect"
"Taxes are us"
Not all of us are stupid, several of us were born here"
"Need to induce vomiting?...visit Seattle's Broadway District!"
6. "WA has it all." ("And what we don't have we'll take from you when you get here")
7. Well, it appears
those in charge are continuing the long, unbroken line of pandering to the lowest common denominator.
Sadly those that 'get' the street slang aren't the same folks who can actually afford to visit our formerly great state, not do we particularly WANT them here.
8. Washington: Where the men are men, and the prostitutes are scared...
9. Don't visit, just buy our software, jets, and timber.
10. "Washington--Jewel of the Left Coast"
"Warshintun--weer reel nice folks evn tho our ejucashun system ain't to gud"
"Washington--still doing the Wobblies proud"
Actually, with the governor's race, the transportation boondoggles, land grabs, Boeing leaving town, and health insurance companies fleeing for their financial survival, SayWA is probably a very appropriate slogan. Anyone know how much was spent on this latest product of government "thinking"?
11. WaTF?
12. WAcky Moonbats
or
WA: Coffee and Taxes
WA: Named after a dead white guy.
WA: We invented the Blue Screen Of Death
WA: Think of us, every time you have to reboot.
We hAte Bush.
WA: Come, Visit, Vote!
13. "The Evergreen State - It ain't the trees, it's the taxes."
14.
WA: Come help us fund another stadium.
15. I've heard DoWA (along with a catchy 50's "do wa diddy diddy dum diddy da" soundtrack) tossed around quite a few times. It's sure a lot better than SayWA.
Personally though, out of all the state advertising campaigns I've seen I think California has done the best (but then they have a kick-a** governor to do cameos).
And for my sarcastic contribution "WAAAAAAAAAAA!" (The sound of someone crying)
or
"Washington. Die here and leave it all to us."
16. Oh, and to answer the above posters question, I believe it cost us somewhere around $450,000. A bargain in the advertising world. But then again, you get what you pay for.
17. Oh, and to answer the above posters question, I believe it cost us somewhere around $450,000. A bargain in the advertising world. But then again, you get what you pay for.
18. Oh, and to answer the above posters question, I believe it cost us somewhere around $450,000. A bargain in the advertising world. But then again, you get what you pay for.
19. WA: Bought to you by Microsoft
WA: Go ahead, pronounce Puyallup!
WA: Smokers, Don't Bother
WA: Now running
Vista
WA: Because your beer sucks
WA: Sunshine is overrated
WA: Hackers paradise
WAtermelons!
20. Washington: Come be jealous of the Ukraine.
21. Washington: We'll bear any burden, and pay any price. (JFK was talking about building a monorail, right?)
22. Washington: If at first you don't succeed, count the votes again.
23. Washington: Stealing Stalin's Slogans
24. Washington: More Lenins than Lincolns.
25. Washington: You're not a hero if you shot down a Zero.
26. Washington: You'll be remembered if by a bulldozer you were dis.....
Nah, can't do it.
27. "The state so nice, you'll vote for it twice!"
28. Come see the county that made King Famous!
If you can find George, Washington you got nothing better to do!
Come see Ron Sims Say WA WA WA WA WA over his new office.
Say Skokomish!
Say WAit a minute how much was that rental car tax!?!?!?!
Wait I will just stick to digging tunnels ;-)
29. Washington: What money comes here, stays here.
30. WA: Don't leave home without your wallet!
31. WA - Where Lenin still stands.
WA - Cuba's sister state.
WA - We gave you Patty 'Osama Mamma' Murray.
The other Washington (in more ways than you can count).
WA - Where your vote counts... over and over.
WA - Fresh air (for 25 feet).
WA - We care more about salmon than our own children.
WA - We hate cars.
WA - The only state run by a queen.
WA - We're not California. No really!
SayWA (is what you'll say when you get the bill).
32. It reeks of ebonics. I hate that smart ass
talk. It reminds me of a man with an earring
or a pony tail. Ever notice how worthless
they are as a human?
33. I never did understand why Virginia came up with "Virginia is for lovers," since it's also known as "The Virgin State" (and hence the name).
34. Considering that any tourists that come here will have to deal with products of our educational system, I think the slogan should be.
"Say Duh."
35. "Washington: Come for the view; Stay for the Proletariat Socialist Revolution."
"Washington: Ruining the Rainbow for Everyone Else."
"Washington: the Other Uzbekistan."
"Washington: Our Scenery in Your Heart; Our Hands in Your Pocket."
"Washington: The Bucks Stop Here."
"Washington: If You Liked Stalin, You'll Love Gregoire!"
"Washington: Home of Rachel Corrie's House of Pancakes."
"Washington: Deep in the Heart of Taxes."
"Washington: A Lot Like France, Only Without the Smell."
36. Say WHAT???????????????
37. "WA: where the union that funds Christine Gregoire's gubernatorial campaign also counts the votes" (Hey---that smells fishy!!!!!!!!)
38. Say WA? WA? Damn hearing aid battery!
39. Washington - the clearcut alternative.
40. "Washington--Where even the dead can vote"
"Washington--The other Cook County"
"Washington--Special interest groups welcome!! Our taxpayers don't mind!"
"Washington--We fund frivolities but not necessities."
"Washington--Save time. Just send us your money."
"Washington--Enjoy the view while stuck in traffic; it's the closest you'll get before you have to leave."
"Washington--Paul Allen has a deal for you."
41. What do you want to bet it's the the same low expectation sacks of crap that are having fits about the WASL that came up with and whole-heartedly endorse this as the State slogan?
42. Washington....Where we vote early and often!
Washington....No habla!
Washington....Come! Be embarrassed!
43. JDH- not only that, but I'll bet they are union! A half-assed job, for a big-assed price!
44. Can't say I have a good suggestion, but I do want to pass on Maryland's slogan, which came after "Virginia is for lovers" and may be a reply: "Maryland is for crabs." Seeing two cars side by side with those slogans was something of a treat.
And perhaps there might be some inspiration in the slogan the Wenatchee Daily World used while I was growing up (and may still use): "Apple capital of the world and buckle on the power belt of the great Northwest." Longer than SayWA, but more interesting.
The slogan they did come up, SayWa, sounds like a bet gone wrong: I imagine something like this: First ad guy: "Those guys will swallow anything." Second ad guy: "Bet I can think of one they won't accept." First ad guy: "Bet you can't." A week or two later, the slogan is born and accepted. The second ad guy pays off the bet.
(And if you are wondering what inspired that, it is a story from the old Soviet Union. According to Conquest, the KGB operatives found their western visitors so easy to fool that they started informal contests on who could tell the visitors the biggest fibs.)
45. "Just say aaahhh....
Come for the Hemp...
Come for the free sex change"
46. Washington: Got Money?
47. I think it more depicts Mayor Nickels if he doesn't get his boondoggle tunnel funded. Or like Ron Sims when he can't spend 18 million of taxpayers money to move him into the top floor Seattle office suite. They both will be saying wa wa wa
48. There's one thing that gives me hope. If you go to the Seattle Times article on SayWA they're doing the same thing, asking people for their own submissions, and it appears that the majority of folks responding are SP readers. My favorites: "Pay extra to live in the rain with libs" and "Brokeback Washington"
49. I think this slogan was thought up by environmentalist moles in the Washington State Tourism Office whose agenda is to cut the tourist influx to almost nothing.
Listening to fingernails scrape on a blackboard would be almost as good as a Mozart piano concerto after hearing this deranged, idiotic slogan.
"Come to Washington and die!" would be a vast improvement over SayWA.
50. One this is for sure. SayWA is the kind of slogan that only a "long and arduous" process, a big committee and a lot of wasted tax payer dollars could develop.
We'd be better off just telling tourists not to come, because then at least they would think we were joking.
You can't make this stuff up. Oh wait, Gregoire says stupid stuff like this every day. Did she come up with the slogan herself?
51. "They both will be saying wa wa wa"
gs,
"Say Wahhhh!"
I like it! It truly captures the essence of the whiney liberals here....
52. With all our salmon, how come no one said "Washington--come spawn with us"???
53. Our slogan has got to mention green. (I know it's biased in favor of the West, but lets face it, tourists don't come to Washington to see the Eastern half)
Something like: "The gift God wrapped in Green"
To steal a phrase from the popular Seattle Christmass Carol
54. If you ever wanted to illustrate Washington government in "action," this incident sums it up rather well.
My suggestion for an appropriate slogan: "Washington - come here and get soaked!"
55. I know it's late, but here's my contribution:
"Blue WA; where Democrats win even when they lose"
56. I've got one:
"Washington - Fish, Log, and go on the Dole."
57. WA - the other hanging chad state.....