Move over Taylor Swift, South Dakota Getting Super Bowl Air Time

More than 100 million people will be gathered around TV sets on Sunday (February 11) to watch Super Bowl LVIII from Las Vegas.

And while the vast majority will be tuning in to see the 49ers battle the Chiefs for the Vince Lombardi trophy, others will be on Taylor Swift watch.

But the thing that even the most casual observer will be paying close attention to is what happens when the game isn't happening.

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Because that's when the Super Bowl TV commercials hit the airwaves. And for the first time, South Dakota will be featured among the big game ads.

Travel South Dakota has produced a 30-second spot that will remind viewers that in addition to Mount Rushmore, there's so much more to discover in the State. The theme of the ad 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 will make its debut during the game, with additional markets airing an extended 60-second cut. Priority markets include Denver, Minneapolis, Omaha, Des Moines, and Kansas City, as well as 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: