BANCO POPULAR DE PUERTO RICO BANK | THE MOST POPULAR SONG | 2012
Choosing to Rewrite History / Banco Popular "THE MOST POPULAR SONG"
Puerto Rico's biggest hit song was a tune called "I Don't Do Anything" — a song that nationally celebrated not working. This campaign got the very people singing it to rewrite it. That bold move brought Puerto Rico its first-ever Cannes Grand Prix.
The problem
In 2012, Puerto Rico was in a serious economic slump, with six in ten people living on government benefits. The island's defining song at the time was El Gran Combo's "No Hago Más Ná" ("I Don't Do Anything") — a cheerful national salsa anthem celebrating a life of not working.
The insight
Simply telling people to "go work" wasn't going to change anything, because that song kept playing in everyone's head. So why not rewrite the song itself? That's the idea Banco Popular landed on.
The idea
On August 16, 2012, every TV and radio station across Puerto Rico aired the same broadcast at once. El Gran Combo appeared, and while the melody stayed the same, the lyrics had completely flipped — now singing about the pride of hard work. At this point, no one knew who was behind it. The next day, Banco Popular revealed itself and called on people to make this new song the most popular song in Puerto Rico.
What happened
The new song became the talk of the whole country and even sparked political debate. It won the Grand Prix in the PR category at Cannes Lions 2012 — the first Grand Prix Puerto Rico had ever received.
Afterthought
The answer this bank landed on wasn't about selling a product — it was about rewriting the song playing in a whole nation's head. They actually pulled off something everyone would have said was impossible. Makes me want to rewrite something too.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2012
