What should North Carolina's new slogan be?

The N.C. Department of Commerce, in the midst of a massive overhaul of the way it markets the states to outside industry, wants your help in coming up with North Carolina's new 'brand.' The department is launching the Brand North Carolina project, which will be handled by UNC Chapel Hill's Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise.

I suppose it makes sense that the state is doing this, given the waves of negative national press North Carolina has received in the past year or so over everything from the Moral Mondays protests to tough new voter ID legislation to aggressive cuts in unemployment benefits to new abortion restrictions.

It includes two contests open to N.C. residents. One is a creative expression contest in which you use photography, poetry, song, dance, video or other artistic means to convey what N.C. means to you. According to a commerce department press release, submittals should represent the values, culture and community of North Carolina. (Don't laugh. The winner gets $2,000).

The second contest, according to the press release, is a "case competition" in which student teams will tackle marketing issues around the state's brand and compete with other teams to recommend the new 'brand positioning' for the state. The state is also recruiting "brand ambassadors" to help spread the word about the project. Feeling civic-minded? You can register as a possible ambassador here.

In the meantime, why don't we start throwing some ideas around? What do you think North Carolina's new slogan or brand should be?