Billboards popping up near some of New York City’s top pizza spots have stirred hostility among locals and confused tourists, The New York Times reported Wednesday.
In September, a sign standing at the New York-Connecticut border appeared, meeting drivers entering the Nutmeg State with: “Welcome to Connecticut: Home of the Pizza Capital of the United States.”
Initially, what was inevitably the start of a warring campaign was laughed off. But last Friday, Connecticut’s Office of Statewide Marketing & Tourism hunkered down, floating 11 billboards deep into New York City’s home pizza territory.
“The Nation’s Best Pizza: Not You, New York,” one sign near a top Big Apple pizza restaurant read. “There’s No Shame In 2nd Place,” another poked.
Reportedly, billboards boasting of Connecticut’s pies have been popping up in pizza hubs around the country, such as in Chicago, Detroit, and New Jersey.
One patron at Joe’s in New York City told The Times the signs were “obnoxious and completely unfounded and quite frankly ridiculous.”
The signs have even elicited a reaction from New York’s tourism bureau.
“While we wish our neighbors in Connecticut the best in their ongoing search for an identity, we’ll stick to the facts: New York revolutionized the slice, perfected the the fold, and established the gold standard for pizza across the globe,” Adam Ostrowski, a spokesman for the state’s Department of Economic Development, said in a statement.
The campaign was headed by Anthony, Connecticut’s first chief marketing officer. When pressed by The Times if there was any evidence backing his claim of Connecticut holding the pizza title, Anthony replied, “I’m a marketer. I’m not going to let objective truth spoil a good story.”
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