“Hidalgo, under my skin.” Sounds kind of gross, no? Well, that’s the new slogan for the state of Hidalgo in Mexico. The ads, created by Gaudelli MCW advertising agency, feature soap opera actress/pop star Irán Castillo naked and covered with computer-generated images of mountains to monuments.
Federal officials and the National Institute for Anthropology and History are screaming “No mas!” By covering the hot bodied star in some of Mexico’s treasures the officials are deeming the ads “a violation of the law.”
It’s not Casillo’s hot body they are objecting to. The woman is clearly smoking and she’s known to flash a little skin in the lad mags. No, no. It’s that the institute “rejects anything seen as exploiting a historical artifact’s dignity” according to The Times.
Look, we totally understand the crunch between commerce and integrity. Totally, but do you want tourism? You want those extra greenbacks from Americans looking for the birthplace of Tequila, a little topless action or even, just a get away spot from the damn kids? Then, deal, because really, Cancun, Tulum and the state, Vera Cruz are kicking your ass.
“I understand their position,” Mr. Gaudelli said. “They have to take care of 5,000 years of history, and Mexicans are very proud of their history.”
Mr. Gaudelli, founder of the agency, compared Hidalgo to Idaho as far as tourism goes, so there you go. Nonetheless, the institute ordered the ads featuring national artifacts into the trash can, while permitting those with images of natural settings to go live.
History, 1. Overt sexual advertising? 0.