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Wisconsin Tourism Federation loses to WTF, changes name

Mark Frauenfelder at 2:51 pm Mon, Sep 28, 2009

Kindle

Wtf

Like AYDS and Beaver College, the WTF (Wisconsin Tourism Federation) got tired of being the butt of jokes and changed its name to the Tourism Federation of Wisconsin. That's too fucking weird, if you ask me.

WTF? No, TFW! (Thanks, Ben!)

Mark Frauenfelder is the founder of Boing Boing and the editor-in-chief of MAKE and Cool Tools. Twitter: @frauenfelder. Come and hear Mark speak at the ALA conference in Chicago on July 1.

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jtegnell

Damn!

I thought I was going to be all clever and suggest FTW.

Shows how clever I am…
Antinous / Moderator

OMG!
cinemajay

LOL!
smgrady

I’m from Wisconsin, and WTF is this?
semiotix

Too bad. Madison alone is good for dozens of what might have been called “WTF moments.”
muteboy

They are The Fucking Win
jimh

I actually think they could have made it work in their favor. A whole new web campaign.

“WTF: Why not visit Wisconsin!”
Stefan Jones

Wyoming is now free to ask WTF?
2k

teh F’ing what?
Anonymous

OK, I like this spot, even though it it is TFW. See you guys logged in later. ;)
Avram / Moderator

I was always disappointed that the Web Hypertext Application Technology Working Group — aka the WhatWG — didn’t call themselves a Task Force instead.
Anonymous

Now instead of using the cool WTF internet acronym they are now using the TFW (Totally F*****G Worthless)internet acronym. Good job guys – way to do your research!!
Anonymous

Reminds me of the former environmental regulatory term, Leaky Underground Storage Tank
Anonymous

Seriously. Wisconsin could really have embraced the popularity of the expression, WTF, and played up the unexpected benefits and pleasures that Wisconsin has to offer. Instead they shied away from a killer marketing opportunity to favor a jumbled and boring name and logo. At this point, they might as well have changed it to: Wisconsin=FAIL
Anonymous

I live in Wisconsin and find this very amusing. Historically Wisconsin is the butt of many jokes. They call us “Cheese Heads” and we are joked a lot about beer and brandy consumption. Most of us take it all in stride. If someone is REALLY worried about I think they need to get a life.
Anonymous

They could have made a killing selling WTF the shirts. I could see those catching on in a big way. And this is TOURISM board. You’d think of all the organizations, they’d be one to capitalize on free press for something.

It’s like you are going out of your way to fail , WTF.
Anonymous

They should have just ditched ‘federation’.
acb

Notice how the typography in the (undoubtedly hastily thrown together) new logo is off (“FEDERATION OF” is squashed together somewhat awkwardly). Not quite for the win there…
Anonymous

Has anyone yet mentioned that they should have considered changing the acronym to FTW?
Anonymous

What are they, stupid?
‘WTF’ is better because of the connotation!
Daemon

Those F’ing Wankers….
Anonymous

@ 30: Yes. That is because Wisconsin is fracking awesome.
Anonymous

Another WTF:
http://www.welcometofinland.fi/
Anonymous

I find it fascinating that they mention Beaver College. As a life long resident of Beaver County, PA I am constantly bombarded with snickers in comments about the area. What really seems to get them is a local High School, which had not renamed itself: Western Beaver High, home of the Golden Beavers. I kid you not.

I have a running gag with a blond female alumni friend of WBHS that usually goes something like this:

Q: So, you were a Golden Beaver?
A: Still am!
idontwant2liveinoprahsworld

That reminds me of a story a couple of years ago about a debate of changing the name of Pendelton Middle School (PMS).
I did a quick search and couldn’t find anything about it.
Almost as funny as this one.
Lyddiechu

I lived in Madison for 6 years and I am shocked and appalled that the city that birthed the Onion allowed this change.
jokel

When I saw the picture, I hoped it was a matter of Judean Peoples’ Front v.s. Peoples’ Front of Judea. The reality is somehow more pathetic.
failix

O.k. now this is funny!
Anonymous

Maybe they should have just eliminated the department altogether. Does anybody actually tourist Wisconsin anyways?
Anonymous

One of the first things you see when entering Wisconsin on I-94 is this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Bong_State_Recreation_Area … yet they choose to make a snicker adjustment to “WTF.”

WTF?
Anonymous

The fucking win!
Ryan

They should have gone with Federation for Tourism in Wisconsin.

FTW FTW!
Anonymous

They should have changed the name to Federation of Tourism Wisconsin, IMO.
Anonymous

http://www.unfortunateacronyms.com/
Tony Moore

i was thinking the exact same thing as #1!
if they were smart, they’d have gone with FTW!

-T
Anonymous

I see what you did there, Mark.
Francesco Fondi

This is the post of the century!!