DNA Discounts
Aeromexico
Issue 50 | February 2019
Agency
Ogilvy Mexico and Colombia
Creative Team
John Raúl Forero, César Agost Carreño, Juan Pablo Álvarez, Mauricio Guerrero, Hugo Mario García, Mauricio Sánchez, Julián Triana, Alejandra Rozo, Luisa Consuegra
Production Team
Direktor Films Rafael Martínez, Lali Giraldo
Other Credits
María Angélica Figueroa, Ana Villalta
Date
2018
Background
More Mexicans fly to the USA with Aeromexico than Americans fly the other way. A lot more.
Within the context of the current political situation, the airline wanted to increase the number of flights taken by US citizens to destinations in Mexico.
Idea
In the southern states of the USA in particular, people claim to dislike Mexico.
The irony is that many of these people will have acquired more than a few Mexican genes over the generations.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Mexican immigrants were settling in the south as far back as the 1800s.
DNA Discounts was a simple promotion that offered discounts on flights. Whatever the percentage of their DNA was measurably Mexican determined the discount they could claim. A person with 15% Mexican heritage qualified for 15% off the price of a flight. The more Mexican she or he might be, the greater the savings.
American citizens in Wharton, Texas, who said they would never go to Mexico were identified and filmed as they were given the results of their DNA tests.
Their shock turned to delight when they learned what discounts they could get.
In the video, Bill’s hostility to Mexico turned to delight when he learned he is 18% Mexican, more Mexican, in fact, than his 15% wife.
Results
Journalists, politicians, activists, writers and even a former President of Mexico were among the thousands of people in 166 countries who talked about the campaign, generating 1.6 billion media impressions.
Searches for “Vacations to Mexico” from the USA increased 322% and sales of flights to Mexico went up 18%.
Our Thoughts
Should brands get involved in politics? Damn right they should, especially when those politics are as divisive as Trump’s wall. I love this campaign for exposing not so much the bigotry as the sheer stupidity of countless Americans. And Brits, for that matter.
The only real Britons in the UK are to be found in small pockets of Wales, everyone else is of immigrant stock. The typical voter for Brexit turns out to have a genetic makeup that is 60% European.
Mind you, as someone commented on Twitter, while this idea may get more Americans to go to Mexico, it gives Mexicans good reason to stop going to America, where it looks as if they will give their racist, misogynistic President a second term.