Aeromexico is literally rising above the debate over a wall on the border – with a creative airline ad and promotion that encourages travel from the U.S. to Mexico. The two-minute commercial, which features visuals of beautiful Mexican locations, could be seen as a trolling trifecta, tweaking anti-Mexican sentiment in the U.S. and, without mentioning him, President Donald Trump and his anti-illegal immigration comments aimed at countries south of the U.S. border. The slogan for the "DNA Discounts" campaign, "There are no borders within us," can be read as a swipe at Trump, whose disagreement with Congressional Democrats over money for a wall has led to a protracted partial-government shutdown. And, it may even complete a nifty bipartisan bank shot, with a DNA test offer that could be seen as a reference to the blowback Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren received when she tested her DNA for Native American blood. The commercial for the Mexican airline opens by saying, "Mexico's first destination is America," showing a fleet of jetliners flying north, before adding, "But America's first destination is not Mexico," as one lone plane flies in the opposite direction. To try to boost tourism from the U.S., the company goes to what it terms a "typical American town," Wharton, Texas, to ask people their thoughts on traveling to Mexico. It's not positive, at least from the selection of people featured on camera. One woman says, "No way," while a man responds, "Let me stay here in peace and let those folks stay on their side of the border." A conversation with one man points to the quandary: "Do you like tequila?" he is asked. "Yes." "Do you like burritos?" "Yeah." "Do you like Mexico?" "No." After that negative sampling of public opinion, the ad points out that Americans who have Mexican heritage are on the rise, even if many don't know it. That leads to an airline campaign, offering DNA tests to Americans and accompanying flight discounts based on their percentage of Mexican descent: "The more Mexican they are, the more discount they get." The ad says the tests were offered in a few southwestern states and 54 percent of the people tested had some Mexican heritage. Responses vary. One man is told he is 18 percent Mexican and he says, "Wow!" Another responds with a profanity when told he is 22 percent Mexican. And a third person may just be thinking of taking a trip after she's told she can get 15 percent off a flight that travels south of the border. "Yes," she says, pumping her fist. "I love discounts!" The video has received tens of thousands of likes after being posted on various Twitter handles.<doc-sep>But as political tensions flare between Mexico and its northern neighbor the United States, one airline decided to be proactive. AeroMexico , the country's national carrier, unveiled a program called "DNA Discounts," which offers discounts on flights to Americans who can show by taking a test that they have Mexican DNA. The amount of the discount depends on the percentage of Mexican ancestry. For example, a person who has 15% Mexican heritage qualifies for 15% off. From Aeromexico The promotion is specifically targeted at states in the Western United States, including Arizona and Utah. A chart onscreen explains how long immigration between the two countries has been going on and which states in the United States are likely to have high numbers of people with Mexican heritage. However, there is much more going on with the campaign than simply wanting to encourage travel there. The commercial features representatives from AeroMexico interviewing some residents of Wharton, Texas, on their opinions about Mexico. Wharton is 60 miles southwest of Houston and about 300 miles north of the Mexican border. From Aeromexico Several interviewees express their dislike of Mexico, saying they have no interest in visiting. One man says, "Let me stay here in peace, and let those folks stay on their side of the border." Others say they enjoy Mexican exports such as burritos and tequila, but have no interest in traveling to the country. From Aeromexico That, of course, is where the big reveal comes in. The same people are told on-camera what percentage Mexican DNA they have. Some are dismayed, others confused. One couple looks pleasantly surprised at the news, with the husband teasing his wife about his percentage being higher than hers. Related content The best places to visit in Mexico No politicians or political issues are mentioned by name, but it appears AeroMexico is using its ad to examine tensions between the two countries. And this isn't the first time AeroMexico has addressed political issues in its commercials. In 2016, the company released an ad entitled " Fronteras " (Spanish for "Borders") that featured moody black-and-white shots of children pressed up against walls and chain-link fences. Related content CNN Travel's 19 places to visit in 2019 The ad came after now-President Donald Trump's campaign promise to build a border wall between the two countries. AeroMexico is part of the SkyTeam alliance, whose other members include Air France, Delta Air Lines and KLM.<doc-sep>
AeroMexico, the country’s national airline carrier, unveiled a new “DNA Discounts” program in a viral ad campaign on Thursday. The company is offering discounted flights from U.S. states to Mexico for Americans who have Mexican DNA. The higher percent of ancestry, the greater the discount. "Mexico's first destination is America, but America's first destination is not Mexico," the ad begins. "So we went to a typical American town to ask why they don't consider Mexico an option to travel to." ADVERTISEMENT The commercial features resident of Wharton, Texas sharing their negative opinions about Mexico. Wharton is about 300 miles north of the Mexican border. “Let me stay here in peace and let those folks stay on their side of the border,” one resident said. Another said he likes tequila and burritos but doesn’t like Mexico. The airline cited data from the Department of Homeland Security which found that Mexican immigration in the south dates back to the 1800s. “Meaning that a big percentage of Mexican ascendants in the U.S.A. doesn’t even know it yet,” the commercial states. “So we did a DNA test to prove it and turn those results into discounts.” The ad shows some respondents celebrating and smiling their new travel opportunity, with one participant saying “I love discounts.” ADVERTISEMENT “That’s bullshit,” another person said in the aid. The two-minute commercial ends with the tagline “there are no borders within us.” CNN reported that the “DNA Discounts” ad was released by Ogilvy, the airline's advertising agency. It had not appeared on AeroMexico’s official social media platforms but quickly racked up views on Facebook and Twitter. The Hill has reached out to the airlines for comment. The commercial comes amid increased tensions over Mexican immigration. The record-long partial U.S. government shutdown was triggered on Dec. 22 over President Trump Donald TrumpTrump lashes out after grand jury seated for New York criminal probe Schumer tees up vote on Jan. 6 commission bill Senators struggle to save Jan. 6 commission MORE’s demand for $5.7 billion for a border ball.