New Mexico’s Illegal Alien Problem
These are not aliens coming across the borders, either. They are coming from outer space. Well, sort of. There is a flap in New Mexico over a new television ad campaign promoting tourism in New Mexico. Some tourism officials are very, very displeased with the ads.
Instead of highlighting New Mexico's picturesque desert landscapes, art galleries or centuries-old culture, the ads feature drooling, grotesque office workers from outer space chatting about their personal lives.
To some, the 30-second TV spots — which lead in roundabout fashion to the tag line that New Mexico may be "the best place in the Universe" — are provocative, funny and bold.
But to increasingly vocal critics, the ad campaign is a possible threat to the well-being of the state's $5.1 billion tourism industry. In other words, while the ads may yield a chuckle or two, the joke is on New Mexico.
Critics say the less-than-cuddly, reptilian spacemen may be more apt to baffle or frighten away a tourist than reel one in.
"New Mexico has a lot to offer — we don't need to bring our standards down," said Ken Mompellier, head of the convention and visitors bureau in Las Cruces, the state's fast-growing second-largest city, which has refused to use the alien ads to bolster local tourism pitches, as it normally would.
"My first question would be: What does this campaign show of the things that we are known for?" Mompellier asked. "I look at this campaign and I don't see the fit. And the things I'm hearing from people, some of it is very negative."
The concern is that the ads tend to not target the people with actual time and money to spend visiting New Mexico: Baby Boomers. The ads may be "provocative, funny and bold" to some people, but they would appear to be rather silly if the goal is to bring in people with actual dollars to spend. Judge for yourself, I frankly don't see these as particularly funny or effective.
By Sam L., Tuesday, 27 November , 2007 @ 9:28 am
Yes, not really funny, but I’m amused by it.
By martian, Tuesday, 27 November , 2007 @ 10:37 am
I found it moderately amusing (of course, with a name like mine, I would, wouldn’t I?). It plays on the whole Roswell, Area 51, alien visitor thing that the whole New Mexico Chamber of Commerce has been exploiting for decades. Heck, I even have a U.F.O. Driver’s License that a friend brought me from a visit to New Mexico. For the head of the Las Cruces Convention and Visitors Bureau to complain about an approach that has been used for many years smacks of sour grapes because his city doesn’t have a well known UFO connection.
By martian, Tuesday, 27 November , 2007 @ 10:59 am
Besides, that “fish taco” sounds good!