Israel Hires Maxim Magazine for Tourism Photoshoot

Israel is a land brimming with wonderful beaches and rich history. So, what’s the best way to market that to the world? The government believes the answer is… “good-looking women.” What? How disappointing.

This public relations strategy is particularly skewed to hit a key demographic of American men aged 18 to 35. The tourism board found that this group wasn’t particularly interested in visiting the nation because they associated Israel with “war or holy relics.” In an effort to change that target audience’s collective mind, Israel hired a Maxim Magazine camera crew to photograph the country’s (bikini-clad) female beauty amidst the country’s natural beauty. Women of the Holy Land, anyone?

Tourism is a cut-throat market, so I can understand where a sexy, new approach might be appealing. (After all, I dedicated 188 words to it.) However, I cannot condone an entire marketing campaign built around objectifying women. Sure, sex sells, but whatever happened to dignity?

I think a Harvard Law School professor said it best in the Newsweek article: “Completely not the way to go. I can see models anywhere.”