11 ‘Real’ Michigan Slogans That Should Replace ‘Pure Michigan’

Pure Michigan Had a Good Run

Let's be honest — "Pure Michigan" had a good run. The commercials were soothing, the music was calm, and Tim Allen's voice made us feel like everything in the mitten was wrapped in a warm flannel blanket. But here in actual Michigan, things are a little less "pure" and a little more..."pothole chic." We've got six months of winter, three months of construction, and three months on the water while trying not to be carried off by mosquitoes the size of Pterodactyls.

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Let’s Call It Like It Is: Potholes and Pride

So maybe it's time for a new slogan — one that actually fits. Something that doesn't sugarcoat the black ice, or pretend that we all spend our weekends fly fishing in crystal-clear rivers while deer politely wave from the shore. Let's call it like it is — Michigan's a state with a big heart, bad roads, and weather that can't make up its mind. It's chaos, but it's our chaos.

Real Michigan, Real Chaos, Real Love

From Detroit's comeback swagger and "grit" to the Upper Peninsula's "who needs Wi-Fi, anyway?", Michigan's personality can't be contained in one overplayed tourism ad.

We deserve slogans that celebrate who we really are and what it really takes to survive in the Mitten State (other than Vernors).

11 Slogans That Actually Fit the Mitten

So we've come up with 11 new slogan ideas that ditch the fake serenity of Pure Michigan and embrace the glorious mess that is the Great Lakes State. These aren't for postcards; they're for people who've scraped ice off their windshield with a Meijer card. Forget "Pure Michigan," welcome to Real Michigan.