What Do You Think of South Dakota’s First Super Bowl Commercial?

South Dakota is hoping to be a David among Goliaths on Super Bowl Sunday.

For the first time, the State’s Department of Tourism is hoping to cash in on one of television’s biggest days with its first-ever Super Bowl commercial.

So right alongside all of the major players - the car, beer, and online giants - is the Mount Rushmore State’s 30-second pitch.

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The point of the Travel South Dakota spot is to remind viewers that in addition to Mount Rushmore, there's so much more to discover in the state. The ad's theme piggybacks off of the state's current tourism campaign, 'So Much South Dakota, So Little Time.'

To drive the point home that South Dakota is more than a 'one-hit wonder', the state has enlisted the help of an actual one-hit wonder, the band Nine Days whose only Top 40 hit was 'Absolutely (Story of a Girl)', which cracked the Top Ten in 2000 (#6 on the Billboard Hot 100).

For the Super Bowl ad, the Long Island, New York-based band has reworked the song into 'Absolutely (Story of a State).'

The 30-second commercial made its debut during the game, with additional markets airing an extended 60-second cut. Priority markets include Denver, Minneapolis, Omaha, Des Moines, Kansas City, Sioux Falls, and Rapid City.

The commercial will continue to run in many of the key markets into late February.

Officials estimate the cost of the media campaign will run $1.19 million.

What Was It like to Vacation in South Dakota’s Black Hills 60 Years Ago?

This time of year our thoughts often turn to planning that perfect getaway to enjoy the warmer weather and extended daylight.

For a lot of us in South Dakota, that means a trek to the Black Hills and all of the things they have to offer.

But vacationing in western South Dakota is hardly a new concept. People from all over the globe have been coming to the area for decades.

Gallery Credit: Jeff Harkness/B1027.com

From Frybread to Pheasants - Here are South Dakota's Official State Things

Every state in our nation has chosen things that represent the state in one way or another to be official state things. Like a flower, or animal. South Dakota is no different.

The Mount Rushmore has a state flower. But did you know we also have a state tree and a state fish? Yes, we even have a state code.

Here is what we have so far in Wyoming. Thanks to the South Dakota Secretary of State's Office for the info: