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Why Go to Mars When You Can Live in South Dakota?

Die on Mars or live in South Dakota? It’s really a tough decision. The dilemma being that one is a barren wasteland where nothing has happened for millennia and the other is Mars.

It’s always nice to see any instance of someone or something not taking itself too seriously and that’s exactly what South Dakota’s Governor’s Office of Economic Development did with this ad.

This new “Better than Mars” slogan is considerably better than their previous one which we can only guess and absolutely refuse to Google for accuracy was “South Dakota: We’re Mostly A Rectangle.” In the simple thirty second clip, we’re given the all the pertinent facts of how South Dakota has a leg up on the Red Planet — namely, the state has oxygen. End of list.

The 39th or 40th state – depending on which Dakota you ask – was recently mentioned in a segment on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. In the clip, Oliver sheds light on the fact that in his eight years in office, President Obama has yet to visit South Dakota. Showing clips of local news reporters barely hiding their dejection while explaining how Obama will likely finish his presidency without making the trek to the… the… — hold on a second… Googling it this time — “The Mount Rushmore State”!? Really? That’s really the official motto? Come on SD, you’re trying to beat Mars here. Step up your game. Oliver’s clip, which you can watch here, ends with their own tourism ad that highlights all that South Dakota has to offer. Especially the Corn Palace, which for the uninformed, is a palace… that’s made out of corn. Yep.

What do you think? Mars or South Dakota? Where would you want to live? Let us know in the comments.

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