Virginia announced today a change to their publicity campaign. While they are not changing their official state slogan, "Virginia is for Lovers," the tourism board has decided that they will be using a new slogan in certain states: "Virginia is for Gang Members." The state of Virginia, in a desperate bid for more tourist dollars, recently started a campaign to attract the violent gang members of the Gangster Disciples and their discretionary income from the sale of crack-cocain. "These young people have more money than they know what to do with and they have to spend it somewhere," Virginia Tourism Corp.'s Alisa Wheatly said in a statement Saturday, "so this will only be good for business here. Well, as long as they keep making their money in Chicago."
The controversial ad campaign, which features an attractive model flashing a well-known gang sign, is designed to draw gangsters who are ready for a break from the violence and the mundane urban landscape to the more rural, settling scenery of Virgina. "Everyone needs a break sometimes," Wheatly continued, "even gang members. We want to show them that they will be accepted here and valued for what they bring -- as long as they bring a lot of it. Oh, and we want to be sure they know that we have hotties too."
Not everyone is thrilled about this new ad campaign, though. The group known as Mothers against Gansters, MAG, released a statement recently condemning the campaing as reckless and inconsistent with the states broader goals. "This simply does not make sense. Why would we bring in gangsters from another state? Who cares if they bring their money -- they will also bring their drugs. It will only be a matter of time before this activity cuts into our own kids' markets adn incomes," said Martha Stew, a spokeswoman of MAG.
Disclaimer: None of this is true...well, almost. This is an actual Virginia ad campaign...but they changed all teh posters to remove the offensive hand sign. I thought it was funny.
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