Check out these amazing 'Welcome to N.J.' ads, powered by an iconic band

The state received permission from the Burlington, Vermont based band to use their music for eight videos. All of the videos are posted on the New Jersey state park service's YouTube channel. The idea to reach out to the band for the music came from Jeffrey MacMullen, a Phish fan working in DEP's Office of the Deputy Commissioner.

In this video, shots of Island Beach State Park are set to the Phish song "Harry Hood" from the album "Hampton Comes Alive."

MacMullen said that the team he works on has been trying to find new ways to promote New Jersey's state lands on social media. He had a feeling that the pairing of Phish and state parks would work if only because of the conventional wisdom that Phish fans tend to love the outdoors.

"I know there's a big crossover between the average Phish fan and the average state park user," MacMullen said. "This was really our first attempt at doing cutting-edge advertisement for state government."

In this video, shots from the Batsto Village Historic Site in Wharton State Forest are set to "Divided Sky" from the album "Hampton Comes Alive."

The videos have been a resounding success, at least compared to the rest of the videos on the DEP YouTube channel. The Phish-backed clips each have racked up thousands of views, while the typical video garners just a couple dozen.

In this video, scenes from Stokes State Forest are set to "Party Time" from the album "Party Time."

The success of the campaign may lead to similar efforts in the future. MacMullen said he's been encouraged by the results, and he hopes the state can partner with more celebrities and big name groups to encourage people to get outdoors.

"That really our goal with the social media stuff is getting to a new audience," MacMullen said.

In this video, scenes from Spruce Run Recreation Area are set to "Glide" from the album "At The Roxy."