May 27--New Mexico is ready to woo the Windy City.

State tourism officials say winning over Chicago-dwelling travelers is among the objectives for FY 2014 now that the department has an extra $2 million to spend on advertising.

The Legislature approved the additional funding earlier this year, giving the department a total of about $5 million to market the state.

State Tourism Secretary Monique Jacobson said the bulk of the new money will go toward boosting advertising in key markets around the region -- namely Denver, Phoenix, Dallas and Houston -- and on specific winter-time messaging.

But the infusion will also allow the state to have a solid presence in Chicago.

The tourism department's only ads in the Illinois metropolis have been displays at Chicago Midway International Airport, but Jacobson said a "very intense, disciplined analysis" of numerous media markets indicated Chicago made sense for New Mexico. The analysis considered traveler convenience, residents' interest in adventure, the target market's economy, media costs and New Mexico's potential appeal -- as in "How does what we have in New Mexico compare to where they live?" Jacobson said.

Chicago -- Southwest Airlines' top market in terms of daily departures -- boasts frequent direct air service to New Mexico. Media placement in the nation's third-largest city is also more affordable than in other major markets, Jacobson said.

Officials also considered Chicagoans' existing opinion of New Mexico, which is that they didn't seem to have much of an opinion at all.

"We did focus groups in Chicago (and) what we saw is we really have a blank slate with folks in Chicago," Jacobson said. "It was fascinating. The people who spend money and travel, they knew about Arizona and they know about Colorado. They knew nothing about New Mexico."

The Tourism Department has other plans for its bigger advertising budget, including a new emphasis on marketing New Mexico as a year-round destination. The extra funding will allow for a more rigorous winter campaign.

"We did select skiing and snowboarding (last year) but didn't do the broader, overall amazing winter experience you can have in New Mexico," Jacobson said.

Plans for FY 2014 also include a film-themed ad push that leverages the buzz around "The Lone Ranger" -- which was shot in New Mexico -- to draw attention to the summer launch of the state's new "Film Trails" program. The program -- a joint effort of the Tourism Department and New Mexico Film Office -- directs visitors to places around the state where movies have been filmed. The state worked directly with Disney to get "The Lone Ranger" material for its ads, which will run in Southwest Airlines' magazine and online.

"We know there is a group of people who like to travel for film and TV tourism, and we've seen this really take off in Albuquerque with 'Breaking Bad,' " said Jacobson, adding that the "Film Trails" website should debut in June.

The state will also pump more money into its regional marketing program and try to reach certain "niche" markets on a national scale. Niche media buys last year focused on skiing and golf, but Jacobson said it's a good bet her department will zero in on the culinary audience this year.

Regardless of the market or the featured activity, the ads will fit into the "New Mexico True" brand, Jacobson said. Launched last year, the New Mexico True campaign is designed to highlight the adventure and culture found around the state.

"We tailor the message, but the campaign does not change," Jacobson said.

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