News out of Philadelphia this morning that a local ad man is taking a counter-intuitive approach to destination marketing.

It seems that Travel & Leisure magazine recently published a report claiming that Philadelphia has the fewest attractive citizens in the nation.

The ad man's response?  Turn your perceived weakness into a selling point:



He reasons that Philadelphia could be positioned as a great get-away for those in need of an ego boost -- come to Philly and you'll be a relative hottie by comparison.

I've written elsewhere about my love for counter-intuitive marketing, and a perceived weakness can be the source of a great campaign... but I think this is just stupid.  Whether the ad guy is serious or just looking for cheap publicity is unclear.  Either way, the Philadelphia CVB is not amused.