Aeromexico Trolls Xenophobes with 'DNA Discount'

As the US government shutdown continues, Mexico's national airline has cleverly hijacked anti-Mexico sentiment in the USA with a marketing stunt that proves people's love of a discount trumps (pun intended) their political beliefs.

Created by Ogilvy Mexico to encourage travel from the States to Mexico, the campaign saw the agency trawl southwestern US states in search of xenophobes who insisted they would never visit Mexico. They were then confronted with DNA test results proving their Mexican heritage entitling them to a percentage discount on flights equal to the percentage of their Mexican ancestry. Essentially, the more Mexican they were, the bigger the discount they were offered.

All the action was captured in a two-minute film [top], which intercuts interviews with po-faced natives of Wharton, Texas (located about 300 miles north of the border), with shots of stunning Mexican locations. Some folk, like Bill, are happy to admit on camera that they like tequila and burritos - but they simply have no desire to set foot in the country itself. Or, as one Stetson-topped charmer puts it: "Let me stay here in peace and let those folks stay their side of the border."

When the results of the DNA tests are revealed, the irony is not lost on the interviewees, whose reactions range from disbelief to irritation - "that's bullshit!' snaps one man. However, in most cases, the fact their DNA qualifies them for cut-rate fares is enough to sweeten the blow. Because let's face it, we all love a bargain...  

Although Donald Trump and his anti-illegal immigration rhetoric isn't mentioned overtly in the film, there's a nod to the infamous wall in the campaign's slogan: "There are no borders within us". After Texas, the project continued through southwestern America, with 'DNA discounts' being offered in travel agents across Colorado, Utah and Nevada. 

It's not the first time DNA testing has been used to wrong-foot xenophobes and get people to question notions of race and nationality - Momondo picked up several Cannes Lions for its 2017 viral film, The DNA Journey [below].