You've Got a Friend in Pennsylvania

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In 1980, Ketchum Advertising introduced the tagline “You’ve Got a Friend in Pennsylvania” on television, radio, print, and billboard ads throughout the state of Pennsylvania. From 1980-1988, the phrase also appeared on the state’s license plates.

A grammatical controversy surrounded the phrase during its use, most notably between columnist James Kilpatrick and then-Governor Richard Thornburgh. The issue focused on the use of “you have” alongside “got.” Some felt placing  “you have” next to “got” was grammatically incorrect, therefore the phrase should have read “You have a friend in Pennsylvania.”