In December, Indiana announced it was looking for a new "tourism brand." Included in the brand would be a new state motto, and the state is currently looking for original mottoes that represent Indiana well for tourism.
The fun that will ensue is going to be great, to say the least.
Indiana has been through a few state mottoes so far, including "The Crossroads of America," which was adopted in 1937. I wasn't aware Indiana was a crossroads of any sort, but I guess state leaders once thought people traveled through our state regularly. Maybe they wanted to see the corn or were heading to see the Indy 500.
Recently, the state motto has been "Enjoy Indiana." Although bland, it works well, I suppose. The motto would probably work just as well for any other state in the nation, but I guess Hoosiers weren't as creative then as they seem to be now - or the state was avoiding some of the ridiculous mottoes that have been coming up during this round of searching.
The Indianapolis Star has started asking Hoosiers to submit mottos they think might work for Indiana. Some of them are hilarious - and quite ridiculous. The Indianapolis Star reported a few mottoes I would love to see get through: "Indiana: Now open until 9 p.m." and "Indiana, flat, fat and all that."
Although some of the mottoes are more humorous than practical, there are some that might be appropriate. "Indiana, the heart of America" and "Come home to the Heartland" would work from a geographical standpoint, if nothing else. But it is somewhat sad that the only thing those mottoes would tout about our state is the fact that it's pretty much smack dab in the middle of everything - but they still could work.
One of the more risqu+â-¬ submissions might not go over well with our mostly conservative state: "Indiana, a state of ecstasy."
Indiana isn't the only state currently looking to refresh its motto. Washington has a new marketing campaign that carries the motto "SayWA." I guess that saying WA - the state's postal abbreviation - will magically bring in more tourism dollars because Harry Potter set a spell on the sound. That's the only reason I can think of as to why Washington would pick such a motto. We Hoosiers might want to stay away from a motto like Washington's because, frankly, it doesn't make any sense. An example of something to avoid would be: "Indiana, say Hoosier!" It's not exactly the greatest motto in the world.
Even though I've lived in Indiana my entire life, I myself can't come up with anything that seems appropriate for the new state motto.
I'm leaning toward something to do with corn, like "Indiana, corn for miles and miles" or "Now entering Corn Country." I'm not sure that would bring in a boatload of tourists, but it's the one way to describe something we have an abundance of here in Indiana.
I think using something to do with the Indy 500 could also work, but hinging our motto on a once-a-year event wouldn't bring in too many people year-round. "Indiana, home of the Indy 500" has a ring to it, but only when the 500 is in the near future.
Fortunately, there are plenty of other minds out there that can think up great state slogans. In fact, a Ball State University student might even be the lucky submitter who gets all the way to the finals.
If there are any aspiring students out there who might want to participate in changing the state motto, feel free to visit Indiana's Web site and offer your suggestions.
Please, though, for the sake of Ball State's image, don't suggest anything like "Indiana, home of Ball State and the birthplace of David Letterman!"
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