Signs of the time: Choose N.J. launches billboard campaign as counter to NYC congestion tax

Here’s the deal with all that traffic congestion: It gives drivers more time to look at the billboards they are slowly moving past.

And, maybe, just maybe, it will make them ponder a way to get of the jam they’re in — or, better stated, the state they are working in.

That’s the goal of Choose New Jersey.

While Gov. Phil Murphy and other elected officials continue a verbal assault on the congestion tax that is being levied against drivers in New York City (many of whom are New Jersey residents), Choose New Jersey is trying to lure them (and their companies) to New Jersey — with a series of billboards.

Billboards that declare:

• “Paying a Congestion Tax to Sit in NYC Traffic? Get Outta Here”; and
• “Less Congestion. No Congestion Tax”

are strategically placed in high-traffic areas such as west of the George Washington Bridge and Astoria Boulevard toward Grand Central Parkway.

Both ads end with a call to “Move your business to New Jersey.”

Initial locations are in Queens, New York, and Bergen County. Additional assets will be released soon in Manhattan, the Bronx, Hudson County and more, with nine billboards throughout the region.

It’s all part of Choose New Jersey’s “This is New Jersey” campaign.

“New Jersey has all the assets businesses need to succeed, along with the quality of life that attracts top talent,” Choose New Jersey CEO Wes Mathews said. “New Jersey’s ideal location and diverse communities are major assets for successful companies and their employees. Our team stands ready to assist businesses in their relocation or expansion decisions.”

The buy includes digital billboards, taxi tops and other digital assets directing audiences to the new business attraction website thisisnewjersey.com. The campaign website details the state’s thriving industries and how companies in those sectors can benefit from New Jersey’s rich business ecosystem.

In conjunction with the congestion tax ads, Choose New Jersey’s overall advertising campaign highlights the state’s thriving industries, top-ranked school systems and exceptional talent with taglines that include:

• “This is New Jersey: Where Boardwalks and Biotech Thrive”; and
• “This is New Jersey: Where Tech and Rec are Booming.”

The wide-reaching campaign will hit business executives in key targets domestically and internationally.

Murphy is all in.

“New York’s congestion tax scheme is unfair for North Jersey commuters who already pay so much in tolls and fees,” he said. “At the same time, it presents an opportunity for us to stress the value proposition of New Jersey for New York City residents and businesses alike: an ideal location, talented pool of workers, less congestion and, most importantly, no congestion tax.

“I’m out there every day making the argument for why businesses should give New Jersey a close look for relocation.”

Now, they can do it from inside their cars.