Aeromexico, the largest airline in Mexico, obtained a considerable amount of its revenue from flights from Mexico to the US (58% p.a.); but not so much the other way around (flights from the US to Mexico: 28% p.a.). This fact implied a long-term unsustainable situation in terms of people, time, and budget. The band needed and wanted a strong action that not only solved their business problem but also reinforced the statement they had been positioning for more than 3 years: "There are no borders within us".

Before creating the solution, it was necessary to consider the contextual political situation, created and promoted by President Trump, where hatred towards Mexico was at its highest levels, being more evident and radical in the precise locations next to the Mexican border. In addition, and contrast, it was important to remember the fact that Aeromexico's main partner is an American company with which they manage billions of dollars businesses.

Finally, and within an ambivalent framework, it was crucial to be clear that the main challenge was creating a new behavior and interest, in an audience that was sensitive and predispose by historical and current events, using a total budget of 80.000 dollars.

We needed to create a big and bold statement that could permeate as many people as possible with a total budget of 80.000 US Dollars. We decided to focus our approach on creating an idea for a specific audience, expecting a demonstrative result.

We first studied the current political situation and contrasted that information with data from a research developed with the USA Department of Homeland Security, in which Mexican migration through the years was sustained not as a recent phenomenon, but as a settlement of Mexican communities since the 1800s; meaning that a large percentage of Americans have Mexican DNA.

All those acquired facts were crossed with social media and behavioral data, allowing to establish the most reluctant audience and prone States (Nevada, Colorado, Texas, and Utah), where Mexican descendants NOT interested on flying to Mexico could be.

We strategically established that this situation was a behavioral problem that could only be countered by another behavior; so we appealed to something Americans are proven to love: sales, faced with something they claimed to hate: Mexico.

The budget was totally implemented in the production to support the action’s veracity; leaving the amplification contextually assigned to organic publications and earned media.

These insights, tensions, data analysis, and social behavior directed the creative team to bring to life a disruptive idea designed for the specific and identified reluctant Southern border audience: DNA Discounts, a promotion that gave discounts to Americans based on the results of their DNA tests. The more Mexicans they were, the more discount they got.

People were not only targeted, but documented. The production selected and asked people about their feelings and beliefs towards Mexico. Then, performed the DNA tests powered by 23andME; and were able to record the shocking reaction when finding out about the percentage of Mexican DNA they held.

The brand, through DNA results, turned a traditional promotion into a viral -more than 166 countries-, and revealing reward in which every discount they gave was as unique as people’s DNA; proving through real facts that "There are no borders within us".

-The sales of Aeromexico tickets from the United States to Mexico had a historical increase of 33.7%.

-The top of mind of the brand and spontaneous recall reached 91% historical peaks.

-Increment in US search "Tickets to mexico": 214%.

-Increase in US search "Vacations to Mexico": 321%

-Increment in US search "Aeromexico": 177%

-Only 4% negative feeling which is unusual, especially for an airline.

-The video went viral with more than 25 M views the first week on different platforms.

-166 countries debated the campaign.

-Most of 1 billion reach.

-More than 140 media around the world gave Aeromexico coverage such as The NYT, Time, Newsweek, CBS, ABC, CNN, among many others.

-The campaign was commented and shared by millions of people including political analysts, journalists, activists, celebrities, influencers and even former Mexican President.

-The campaign became a statement to support and stand against the contextual political controversy.

It was also strategically determined that the best way to generate a bigger impact with the campaign would only be through an inflection point on the political context in the US, a crucial moment that came when the US longest Government Shutdown took place. It was predictable that the whole media was going focus on this issue and as an extension, our campaign would generate debate and conversation.

A decision that requires a brand to be brave to confront and face the President of the world´s most powerful nation, but needs to be braver when it's precisely with that nation that the company manages hundreds of millions of dollars’ businesses.