N.J. unveils winning slogan

TRENTON, N.J., Jan. 13 (UPI) -- It's official -- New Jersey's new slogan is "New Jersey: Come see for yourself."

The slogan, the work of a New Jersey Transit employee whose work includes writing advertising slogans, was the winner in a competition between five finalists, the Star-Ledger of Newark (N.J.) reported. They were selected from among 8,000 or so submitted by voters after acting Gov. Dick Codey rejected a motto -- "New Jersey: We'll win you over" -- an ad agency had been paid $250,000 to produce.

Jeffrey Antman, the winning sloganeer, attended the news conference wearing a button with another example of his work -- "The Tunnel: Dig It." He modestly described his inspiration as "an epiphany."

Antman's slogan beat out "New Jersey: Love At First Sight" by about 100 votes out of 11,000 cast by telephone, e-mail and fax.

The 8,000 slogans entered ranged from the serious to "Not all of our elected officials have been indicted."

Codey, who next week goes back fulltime to his job as president of the state Senate, leaves the slogan as a legacy to incoming Gov. Jon Corzine.