New Ad Suggests South Dakota Is Better Than Mars

In an attempt to attract people to the often-overlooked Mount Rushmore Sate, South Dakota released a campaign video that playfully combats the recent decision to send people to Mars.

Over 200,000 people recently signed up to be chosen for an innovative one-way trip to the red planet. The South Dakota Governer's Office of Economic Development released a lighthearted promotion to reel in potential visitors or those who are on the move.

The ad compares itself to the fourth planet form the sun, stating that its much closer than Mars, which is 141 million miles from the earth. "Why die on Mars when you can live in South Dakota?" the ad asks. Compared to Mars, the 30-second video explains, South Dakota is "progressive, productive and abundant in oxygen."

"Our goal is to build brand awareness of South Dakota not just as home to Mt. Rushmore," Pat Costello, Commissioner of the Governor's Office of Economic Development added, "but as home to thriving industries, job growth opportunities, recreational opportunities and more."

As highlighted on John Oliver's Last Week Tonight, "Clearly this is a watershed moment for South Dakota, which will finally get a visit from President Obama on May 8, making it the last state he's visited during his tenure as president," reports Today.com

"We think Mars has what South Dakota wants," Costello added.

Moral of the video: go to South Dakota and take a look at what you've been missing instead of taking a long journey to leave the atmosphere!