1. South Carolina – “Smiling Faces. Beautiful Places.”
This one sounds nice—pleasant, even. But it could easily be the tagline for a suburban dental clinic, JP Howley of Thrillist says. “Smiling Faces” is a weirdly generic thing to lead with, and “Beautiful Places” is so broad it’s meaningless without detail.
It’s been around for years, but critics have pointed out that it papers over a complex social and political history. It feels like a slogan designed to avoid saying anything at all. There’s no sense of what makes South Carolina specifically beautiful or worth smiling about. It’s warmth without substance.
2. Alabama – “Share The Wonder”
This slogan was introduced in the early 2000s, and while it sounds poetic, it’s incredibly vague, according to New World Encyclopedia. What exactly are we sharing? Wonder could mean natural beauty, civil rights history, or just confusion about what the slogan actually means. It tries to be uplifting but ends up sounding like a slogan for a children’s museum.
Alabama eventually dropped this one, which feels like a quiet admission that no one knew what to do with it. There’s no emotional anchor or sense of place. It could just as easily be used by a space tourism company. That’s probably not what you want in a state slogan.
3. Kansas – “As Big As You Think”
This one reads like a dare, but it’s hard to know what you’re being dared to do. Think big thoughts? Drive for hours without seeing a hill? It sounds ambitious, but it tells you absolutely nothing about Kansas itself.
The slogan was rolled out in 2005 to replace “Simply Wonderful,” which was equally bland. While “As Big As You Think” gestures toward open spaces or big ideas, it never lands. Big how? Big skies, big fields, big… silos?
4. Delaware – “Endless Discoveries”
“Endless Discoveries” makes Delaware sound like an Indiana Jones movie, according to Nichelle Polston of WHYY. It’s clearly meant to be optimistic and full of potential. But Delaware is tiny—49th in size—so the idea of endless discoveries feels more than a little exaggerated. How many things can you really discover in a place you can drive across in under two hours?
To be fair, the state does have cool historic sites and beaches. But the slogan is so generic it could apply to literally any state. It’s the tourism equivalent of saying “You’ll never guess what happens next” and then showing someone a duck. It’s vague clickbait dressed up as branding.
5. Idaho – “Great Potatoes. Tasty Destinations.”
This slogan is part food truck, part travel brochure, and it doesn’t quite pull off either, according to Nikki West of 104.3 Wow Country. It leads with potatoes—fair enough, they’re famous for them—but then shoehorns in the idea of “tasty destinations.” Are we talking about actual food, or just metaphorically calling the state delicious?
It’s catchy, sure, but it sacrifices clarity for quirk. The two parts don’t naturally go together, so it feels like a stretch. It ends up sounding more like a slogan for a quirky diner than an entire state. Also, if your state slogan needs a footnote, that’s not ideal.
6. Indiana – “Honest to Goodness Indiana”
This one feels like it came from someone’s grandma, and not in a good way. It’s aiming for heartland charm but ends up sounding old-fashioned and overly sentimental, according to Greg Margason of Fox 59. “Honest to goodness” is a phrase people don’t really use anymore, unless they’re describing soup.
It was launched in 2014 as a rebrand, but even state officials admitted it was polarizing. Some found it homey; others thought it was hokey. The problem is, it doesn’t tell you anything about Indiana—what you’ll see, do, or feel. It’s just a folksy shrug.
7. New Hampshire – “You’re Going to Love It Here”
This one tries to be welcoming, but it’s so noncommittal it could be a line from a passive-aggressive Airbnb host. “You’re going to love it here” sounds like someone trying to convince themselves. It offers no hint of what “here” even is—mountains, lakes, tax-free shopping?
It replaced the much sharper “Live Free or Die” for tourism use, which at least had some teeth. The new slogan is deliberately soft, but in the process, it loses any edge or identity. It’s a slogan that could be stamped on a brochure for literally any town in the country. You could swap it out and no one would notice.
8. North Dakota – “Legendary”
This one goes for bold minimalism, but it ends up raising more eyebrows than interest. “Legendary” what, exactly? It sounds like a tagline for a video game expansion pack. Without context, it’s just a boast that assumes you’re already on board.
The slogan is tied to Theodore Roosevelt and frontier history, but you’d never know that from just the word. North Dakota does have unique landscapes and culture, but this branding doesn’t help tell that story. It feels like the marketing team stopped at the first idea that sounded cool. As far as slogans go, it’s all sizzle, no steak.
9. Nebraska – “Honestly, It’s Not for Everyone”
This slogan went viral for being… unusually honest. But it’s also so self-deprecating that it leaves you wondering if the tourism board just gave up. Meant to be cheeky and counter-intuitive, it risks sounding like a dare to stay away.
The idea was to acknowledge Nebraska’s reputation as boring and flip it into intrigue. But the problem is, it doesn’t offer a reason to come—just a wink and a shrug. You want a slogan to pull people in, not make them second-guess themselves. It’s clever, sure, but is it effective?
10. West Virginia – “Wild and Wonderful”
This one has a nice ring to it, but it’s also incredibly broad. “Wild and Wonderful” could refer to national parks, or to someone’s bachelorette weekend in Vegas. Without more context, it doesn’t tell you what kind of “wild” we’re talking about—outdoorsy, untamed, or just unpredictable?
West Virginia adopted this slogan in 1969 and it’s still going strong, which is kind of impressive. It’s emotionally warm but intellectually empty. You could slap this on a candle and no one would blink. It says almost nothing specific about the state.
11. Georgia – “Georgia on My Mind”
Yes, it’s a beautiful Ray Charles song. But as a slogan, it’s resting entirely on the warm fuzzies people get from the music. It doesn’t offer a clue about what Georgia actually is—no mention of peaches, hospitality, cities, or nature. It assumes you already know and love Georgia, which kind of defeats the point of a tourism pitch.
This has been the official state song since 1979, and the slogan version plays off that recognition. But unless you’re already nostalgic for the place, the phrase doesn’t move the needle. It’s lyrical, sure—but vague as fog. A slogan shouldn’t require a Spotify link to make sense.
12. Missouri – “Enjoy the Show”
Unless you’re talking about Branson’s live entertainment strip, this one doesn’t really track. “Enjoy the Show” sounds like something you’d hear before a movie starts, not a pitch for a state vacation. It leaves you wondering: what show?
The slogan was introduced in 2021, aiming to highlight Missouri’s variety of attractions—from sports to music to outdoors. But without that context, it just floats in ambiguity. It’s catchy, but confusing. If you’re not already familiar with what Missouri offers, it feels like a teaser with no punchline.
