Campaign on child poverty mocks tourism ads, drawing ire of state officials
An Albuquerque-based Catholic group that has advocated for the state to invest more funding in early education programs is mimicking the state’s tourism campaign in a new ad venture spotlighting childhood poverty in New Mexico — drawing complaints that it’s infringing on trademark rights.
St. Joseph’s Children, a nonprofit affiliated with Catholic Health Initiatives, launched a $200,000 advertising campaign this week that takes a satirical swipe at the state Department of Tourism’s “New Mexico True” campaign with a more sobering venture called “New Mexico Truth.”
The Department of Tourism responded with a charge that St. Joseph’s is infringing on trademark rights, and officials are demanding the group discontinue the campaign under threat of legal action.
Using statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau and a recent Annie E. Casey Foundation report that ranks New Mexico 49th in the nation when it comes to child well-being, a website for the St. Joseph’s campaign says, “The year of El Niño,” and lists several dim child statistics: “New Mexico has the highest rate of children living in poverty in the nation”; “62% of our 3 and 4 year olds are not enrolled in pre-school”; “79% of our children are not proficient in reading by the 4th grade.”
The site, newmexicotruth.org, includes several videos parodying some of the “New Mexico True” ads. One video showcases the state’s beauty as the soothing voice of a female narrator intones, “This is New Mexico, where the cold mountain air is an invitation to adventure. Where we wait all day just to see the sunset. Where our spirits soar far beyond the horizon and our children are left behind.”
The narrator then says that 31 percent of the state’s children live in poverty and thousands go hungry every day. She concludes, “In New Mexico, there are endless opportunities for discovery, yet few opportunities for our children. New Mexico Truth.”
The Martinez administration is not amused. Mike Lonergan, a spokesman for Gov. Susana Martinez, said the ad campaign is “nothing more than a petty, cynical attempt to hijack an ad campaign that showcases the beauty, diversity and wonders of New Mexico — one that is bringing tourists and revenue to communities large and small — in order to score cheap political points.”
Heather Briganti, a spokeswoman for the New Mexico Department of Tourism, said in a statement Wednesday, “We’re disappointed that anyone would attempt to smear something that is doing so much good for the people of New Mexico. We question the character of an organization that takes aim at a campaign that has Campaign on child poverty mocks tourism ads, drawing ire of state officials - The Santa Fe New Mexican: Local News:
Campaign on child poverty mocks tourism ads, drawing ire of state officials - The Santa Fe New Mexican: Local News: