Bob Mercer digs through the state’s ledger and finds we’ve paid over two million dollars to tote our float through the last ten Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parades. This year’s entry cost just about a quarter million… which comes out to a half-penny for each person who saw that tourism ad:
NBC-TV showed the parade. It drew an estimated three million people to watch live along the streets of Manhattan and a broadcast audience of 50 million.
…“Participation in the parade allows the Department of Tourism to literally reach every market in the US. In essence, we’re buying a guaranteed 60-second commercial in every market in every state at a fraction of the cost,” [Tourism spokesperson Katlyn Richter] continued.
“By buying into a national event, we are reaching markets we couldn’t otherwise reach. The cost of the parade is roughly 1.7% of the overall Department of Tourism budget,” Richter added. “This is the perfect opportunity for South Dakota to get its largest visitor attraction (Mount Rushmore) in front of millions of potential travelers” [Bob Mercer, “South Dakota Float in NYC Parade Is Costing More But Remains a Good Value, Officials Say,” KELO-TV, 2019.12.24].
It would be interesting to do some quick market research and see how many Americans in other states hearing “South Dakota” think of Mount Rushmore first thanks our decade-long two-million-dollar Rushmore and how many think of Mars, jerking and driving, and the fact that we’re all On Meth™ thanks to the millions we’ve spent sabotaging that positive imagery with boondogglier ad campaigns.
Should have put three jackasses on the float to represent Dakota’s wingnut congressional clown factory. Truth in advertising and all that rot.
Mike, I would have been much cheaper.
You and I, two of those awful out-of-staters, could have built the float. We rent a pick up and a small flatbed, build a corral fence around the bed and rent 3 donkeys. We hang a sign around the neck of each to identify them. We’ll build panels to run along the bottom sides of the float to put the “Meth” logo on. Everyone knows the shape of the state, EVERYONE, so that’s a sufficient identifier. We’re ready to go!
SD has to fly us and the float to New York, put us up in a 4 star hotel, feed us extraordinarily well, limo us to and from the parade site, ….. what else?
What do we charge? I think we can do it for less than $2 mil. What do you think?
I’d do it for free. Wouldn’t want to lose my $1.90 SS cola from earning too much extra, Debbo.
True. We can’t be too careful.
But who is singing on it?
Remember when Joan Jett was kicked off for being a “vegan” and she was replaced by 3 “vegans”? Macy’s has last laugh!
SD cattleman’s association I think started the rebel or the guy out of faulkton. Sure proud they got her axed then that kid pop group took her place turned out they were vegan as well
So back to article, no way of knowing if the float works in advertising…..
kd lang 😆😆😆😆😆
She has an incredible voice.
Is Anita Bryant still alive? She seems to be the only celebrity who checks all the boxes for South Dakota values. 1) Votes Republican. 2) Eats meat. 3) Hates gays.
AB and her homophobia and other fears/hates are all deader than a doornail.
This is a real thing that happened? How embarrassing.
Seriously, Bryant should be taking phony kristians to task for mocking jeebus and chasing people away from organized gang acti…..er…religion. Howsomever, Bryant is, herself, a hypocrite of the first order for her unkristian like views of Gays.