A friend just sent me an article from the Houston Chronicle. The original seems to be in the paid-for archive, but here's the gist:

Throughout its existence Houston has struggled to come up with an effective image campaign. There have been many attempts, but none like the latest.

Calling attention to flying cockroaches, pollution, flooding, construction and billboards, it's called "Houston. It's Worth It."

"Houston. It's Worth It" spotlights Houston's 20 "afflictions," which
include: "The heat. The traffic. The sprawl. The ridicule. The air. The no mountains."

Its intent isn't to focus on the negatives, but to create a vehicle for which people can express their reasons for liking Houston despite the hardships, Thompson said.

E-mails from residents explaining why Houston is worth it will be a central campaign component

I like the sound of this. Ads coming from the grassroots up - and acknowledging reality instead of painting a phoney ideal. This sounds like the sort of marketing I'd like to be part of!

Update A few links I found via Google: Houston Chronicle Article (free); PubliusTX blogs ; Charles Cuffner blogs