The campaign aims to change perceptions of the North East

Adverts featuring North East residents and landmarks will appear in national newspapers, in airports, trains, the London Underground and in taxis.

The aim is to highlight the region's best assets to promote it to students, businesses and visitors.

The scheme, which starts on Wednesday, has been developed by regional development agency One NorthEast.

The multi-million pound campaign titled "Passionate People. Passionate Places" will feature landmarks like the Angel of the North and Gateshead Millennium Bridge.

Newcastle's Cafe 21 owner and chef Terry Laybourne is one of those featured in the adverts.

'Great progress'

He said: "North East England has so much to offer. It's different here. We have our own culture and our own way of behaving and living our lives that's very much our own - it's something I buy into and am very comfortable with."

One NorthEast chief executive Alan Clarke said: "Our region has made great progress in recent years in many areas, but existing regional and national perceptions do not reflect the strides that have been made."

He said business and culture were areas where the region was forging ahead and other assets are the coastline, countryside and heritage.

The future success and prosperity of the North East is dependent on how it is perceived locally and externally, he said.

The launch comes as figures show overseas visitors to the North East have reached their highest ever levels on record, One NorthEast said.

It said more than 540,000 overseas visitors stayed in the region last year, an increase of 6% from 2003, and spent more than �194m.