Last year, Banco Popular’s ”The Most Popular Song” by JWT San Juan helped stimulate Puerto Rico’s economy and challenge its reliance on welfare by rewriting the lyrics to one of the country’s most well-known songs. In 2012, JWT San Juan and Banco Popular created “The Race of a Country” to keep the momentum going by inspiring Puerto Rico once again. With the help of Olympic hurdler Javier Culson, JWT San Juan invited Puerto Rico to metaphorically run with Culson to overcome the many hardships faced by the country.
To build support for Javier Culson’s participation in the 400-meter hurdle event at the Summer 2012 Olympic Games, Banco Popular and JWT turned Puerto Rico into a giant track by placing 10 hurdles around the island, each representing an obstacle the country needed to overcome. Thousands of people checked-in at each hurdle and shared the obstacles on social media for a chance to win tickets to the Olympic Games.
With the help of Puerto Rican television channel, UNIVISION, Banco Popular and JWT San Juan created a series of television episodes showing people overcoming different challenges, as well as a half-hour documentary on Culson that aired the night before the race.
Since Culson’s race began at 6 AM Puerto Rican time, JWT San Juan invited the people of Puerto Rico to sign up to receive a wake up call from Culson himself on the morning of the big race. Culson asked the country to get up and run with him and to overcome anything standing in their way.
Despite tripping over a hurdle during the race, Culson finished strong in third place and had Banco Popular’s CEO bestow him with the Bronze metal during the awards ceremony. The Olympic metal was a great victory for Culson, but an even greater one for Puerto Rico, who had a renewed sense of national pride and a more positive outlook on the future of the country.
Watch a recap of JWT San Juan’s entire “The Race of a Country” campaign here:
