1:24In a world filled with viral videos and social media content, South Dakota wants to stand out so it's using the slogan, "Why die on Mars when you can live in South Dakota?"
State economic development officials want to draw milennials to live and work in South Dakota so they are starting a new ad campaign. It is just one part of an overall effort to convince young people that South Dakota is more than just a place to visit.
"They don't picture themselves being able to live in South Dakota because they don't know enough about us, " said Pat Costello, economic development commissioner.
He said the state needed to generate buzz with a trending topic and thought the Mars angle was bizarre enough to get that attention. Costello was right. National news outlets have featured stories on the campaign.
"We think Mars has what South Dakota wants -- thousands of people lining up to live there," Costello said. "So we decided to have a little fun with it."
The campaign includes other videos that will highlight people who have moved to South Dakota.
"We think the Mars thing is the right one for now, "Costello said. "Once this runs its course, we'll hitch our wagon to the next one."
The campaign officially begins on May 1.
