Jaunted

Despite the fact that this sort of campaign has been done before (in Los Angeles among other places), Houston believes this campaign will be different.

Previously, Houston relied on campaigns that cherished the bad things of Houston along with the good, although we think showing hurricanes, heat, flying cockroaches, mosquitoes and polluted air in an ad spot is never very wise.

Now the folks at the GHCVB have wizened up and realized that in this celebrity-obsessed culture of ours, celebrities can sell Houston better than hurricanes and cockroaches.

But that's not to sell the city short. Houston is actually getting some new perks. The Discovery Green, a 12-acre urban park with a lake and restaurants, will open on April 13 near the George R. Brown convention center and Minute Maid park, home of the Astros. Meanwhile, the city's existing largest green space, Hermann Park, will get a $15 million restoration, upgrading the 24-gauge steam train to include stops at the zoo, science museum and outdoor theater.

Related Stories:
· No Need to Apologize: City Tries a Little Boasting [NYT]
· Tourism Board Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Michael (mx5tx)]