Designed by JWT, the advertising campaign features the tagline “Mexico, The Place You Thought You Knew” and seeks to arouse the curiosity of travelers by showcasing not only Mexico’s renowned beach destinations, but also the natural wonders, cultural riches and hip cities some people may never have thought existed in Mexico.

The first set of print ads runs now through November and features dramatic images accompanied by text in the form of short questions. One such ad offers a view of what appears to be a hilltop church in Cholula, in the central Mexican state of Puebla, with copy that reads, “The biggest pyramid in the world? With a church on top?” Yet another features a close-up of a monarch butterfly in the central Mexican state of Michoacan with text that reads, “A place so magical they fly 3,000 miles just to get there. Each year.”

TV ads, meanwhile, center around the ways vacations to Mexico can help solidify personal relationships. For example, one spot shows how exploring cultural and natural attractions in and near the Mexican colonial town of San Luis Potosi draws a group of vacationing friends even closer together.

The Mexico Tourism Board’s investment in its North American campaign is 30 percent above what was spent in 2008, its baseline year, and targets 50 percent of the population, with the goal of generating more than three impressions per person.

The MTB’s research found Mexico’s best tourism prospects to be individuals 35 to 65 years old with annual incomes above US$75,000, who see vacations as a way to bond with family and friends, and who describe themselves as particularly open to exploring new and different travel experiences.

To test the creative concepts behind the ads, focus groups were organized in four cities in the United States and three in Canada. Participants reacted favorably to the ads, speaking particularly positively about how the experience of visiting Mexico enhanced the relationships of the travelers portrayed in the ads.

“We know that people’s lives are incredibly hectic, and vacations are an increasingly important way for them to physically and spiritually rejuvenate,” said Mexico Secretary of Tourism Gloria Guevara. “We feel this campaign will do a spectacular job of communicating the lesser-known ways travelers can explore Mexico, and then return home a different person than when they left.”