Nebraska has been dead last on the list of states that tourists are interested in visiting for the past four years. As someone who has grown up in Nebraska, I know of all the amazing things to see here, such as our beautiful wildlife and our breathtaking scenery; however, most tourists automatically connect Nebraska with cornfields and wide open farming land. Basically, nothing.

This lead tourism officials to try a new approach. The Nebraska Tourism Commission revealed its new slogan: “Nebraska…Honestly, it’s not for everyone.” This was a way of saying that if you enjoy escaping the big city, creating your own fun, and exploring what the state has to offer, then chances are you may like it here.

The Nebraska Tourism Commission thought this would be a way to not only make Nebraska more pleasing to tourists, but also more intriguing. They worked with an out-of-state firm, spending $450,000 on this campaign. To be specific, The Nebraska Tourism Commission had a Colorado firm come up with our new slogan. This enraged many people, Briana Campbell posted on twitter, “Thoughts on the new Nebraska tourism campaign? I, for one, am a big fan of self-deprecating humor.” It seems that even our own Tourism Commission thinks our state is boring, but the humor gave Nebraska exactly what it asked for in regards to national attention.

In the spring of 2018, Nebraska was put back on to the vacation destination map to test its new slogan. The tests showed that the slogan increased the chances of visitors coming to the state due to its brutal honesty. Ironic billboards also increased this curiosity.

It seems that the younger generations are all for the change. Tabi Stanec, a junior mentioned, “The slogan is perfect, I like it because Nebraska really isn’t for everyone. We are different from the other states.”

The positive effects and success of the new slogan can be seen in its national recognition. This new slogan doesn’t hide behind exaggerated words, but instead speaks the honest truth.