Wooo! I just love videos like this, videos that portray the beauty and wonder of Upstate New York. I am so tired of being associated with New York CITY when I say that I am from New York. New York CITY is just a little speck of asphalt and metal buildings to us in Upstate!

The video, below, won first prize in the "I Love NY" ad contest.

The New York Post had a blip about it:

The winner of a contest to find a new "I LOVE NY" TV commercial is a Syracuse-based amateur filmmaker whose 60-second movie doesn't include a single shot of the Big Apple.

Instead, "Discover a Different New York" features scenes of upstate scenery. "Most people automatically associate New York with the city, but there's an entire state out there that's beautiful," said winner Sean Cunningham, 23, a recent Binghamton University graduate.

Yay! Upstate is way more than flannel-clothed hicks with heated blankets. We have a lot to offer, and I am thrilled to see it made more known.

P.S. The news story has a few comments at the bottom. Some folks said things like "this video is boring, where are the landmarks?" or "if you're not in NYC then you're camping out." Obviously these folks need to VISIT Upstate before they make smarmy remarks. ;) lol