Let it never be said that South Dakota doesn't have a sense of humor — or self-awareness about how desirable a place the Mount Rushmore State is to out-of-state visitors and potential transplants. A new state ad campaign launched this week, for example, asks "Why die on Mars when you can live in South Dakota?" It's a fair question, and South Dakota is at least partly serious.
"We think Mars has what South Dakota wants — thousands of people lining up to live there," Pat Costello, head of the Governor's Office of Economic Development, explained to CNNMoney. "So we decided to have a little fun with it." As to what kind of people South Dakota is courting, the ad features photos of folks hunting, fishing, enjoying outdoor music festivals, and exploring nature; it describes the state as "progressive, productive, and abundant in oxygen." Martians, it seems, need not apply. Watch this gem of self-deprecation below. —Peter Weber
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