The official announcement was made at the Association’s Adrian Awards Gala Monday (January 31, 2011) in New York City.
The Department’s “Day of Enchantment” ad campaign was also winner of a Platinum Award – the second time in three year the Department’s advertising efforts have been so honored – and a Gold Award. The Best of Show and Platinum awards were in the Digital Marketing Category. The campaign was developed in conjunction with M&C Saatchi, the Department’s contract advertising agency.
“Our challenge was to bring our Land of Enchantment to life,” Tourism Department Advertising Manager Martín Leger said of the award-winning ‘Day of Enchantment’ ad campaign. “We believe we did just that. Epic in its diversity, beauty and brimming with fierce visionaries and the unusual, New Mexico has an affect on people. The ‘Day of Enchantment’ online photo contest excited New Mexicans about New Mexico, bringing our diversity and beauty to life.”
Only one “Digital Marketing Best of Show” award is given and just four Platinum Awards out of the more than 1,300 entries from around the world and 35 Gold Adrian Award winners, including such heavyweights as Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts and Princess Cruises.
The eight-week “Day of Enchantment” photo contest was designed to encourage New Mexicans to spend more of their leisure dollars in New Mexico. In all, there were 14,830 photo contest entries and 176,288 total votes cast in the photo contest, generating 712,112 web site page views on www.newmexico.org.
In 2008, the Tourism Department’s “The Best Place in the Universe: New Mexico, Earth” television and print advertising campaign – in which office-bound “aliens” deliver the message that New Mexico truly offers the best vacation experience in the universe – was a winner of a Platinum Award in the “Convention and Visitors Bureau/ Destinations / Offices of Tourism” category.
The Association is an organization of sales and marketing professionals representing all segments of hospitality, travel and tourism, and is the hospitality industry source for knowledge, community and recognition for leaders committed to professional development, sales growth, revenue optimization, marketing and branding.
Approximately 200 industry experts serve as members of the Adrian Awards judging academy. Comprised of advertising, public relations, media, and Internet marketing professionals, along with leading members of the travel community, the judges critique each entry’s marketing objectives, creativity, quality, content and results.
To learn more about Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International, visit http://www.hsmai.org.
For more information about the Day of Enchantment ad campaign, contact:
Martín Leger, Advertising Manager, at 505-827-8036 or martín.leger@state.nm.us