What does making out have to do with higher education? A recent advertising campaign sponsored by New Zealand’s higher-education industry draws an intimate connection. According to the ads, going abroad to get your degree means “You’ll Go Far.” Just how far you’ll go is left to the imagination.

In a steamy hot-tub video, a young, presumably Chinese couple essentially tries to swallow each other’s tonsils. As the camera pulls back, it turns out the couple is not alone. Their disapproving parents, also in the hot tub, are watching the make-out session. The words “Get further away from your parents” flash at the bottom of the screen.

The campaign, “Study in New Zealand: You’ll Go Far,” appears to be aimed at young Asians, particularly in China, which is New Zealand’s largest source of international students. Several short videos are showing up on YouTube.com but are clearly meant to run as television ads, at least in markets without zealous censors.

The videos are sponsored by New Zealand Educated, a nonprofit group that promotes the country’s colleges and universities. The group’s Web site contains information on scholarships and courses of study in several languages, including Chinese, Indonesian, and Korean. Using adjustable meters to set priorities — such as “city buzz,” “surf,” and “snow” — it also allows potential students to find the university far from home that is just right for them. —Martha Ann Overland