A Hotel in Theory, With an Image in Fact

New York Times, August 31, 2008 — LAST year, advertisements began appearing in magazines depicting sand, surf and, in one case, a model wearing a mysterious silver amulet.

“A lot of people, when they saw the campaign, thought it wasn’t selling anything,” said Alan Becker, the developer of Nizuc, a resort just south of Cancún, Mexico, where rooms will start at about $800 a night.

But his goal in the campaign was to get the Nizuc name in circulation. The point is to establish a strong brand before the hotel opens for business next year.