In Puerto Rico, the main media outlets are still rooted in traditional advertising methods. Brand messages are mostly limited to commercial breaks between programming segments and formatted around standardized time slots.

Local programming executives are used to this system and have not yet developed a model flexible enough to accommodate engaging original content that integrates naturally into their programs, especially when the content deviates from the traditional 30-second spot.

To make matters more complicated, US Hispanic networks own the largest local stations, so programming is often retransmitted from other markets. This makes locally produced network content increasingly scarce.

Therefore, brand ideas that require unconventional but seamless integration into existing formats often suffer or get killed due to local media outlet’s old habits and restrictions.

And even those brands that bypass integrations and decide to create original content from scratch still face restrictions if they wish to air it through mass media. It is often very expensive. This brings yet another challenge. Puerto Rico is a small market with even smaller budgets.

Working together with the media team, it was decided to go beyond the traditional 30-second TV spot to develop engaging content for the audience.

We created a series of 4-minute TV shows, where real unexpected things happened to real unsuspecting people.

A housewife was chosen for the episode that launched the series. She was sick and tired of asking her husband to get insurance for themselves and for the things they had work so hard to attain.

An elaborate prank was created to convince her husband once and for all of the importance of being insured. The prank consisted of robbing their house, crashing his car and getting his wife to faint.

Like with regular TV shows, a promo campaign ran prior the airing of the prank inviting viewers to tune in and learn how she convinced her husband.

The prank aired in a roadblock on main TV channels, and ran over an entire commercial break during prime time.

It's too early to fully quantify the commercial impact, but in terms of exposure, initial measurement by Nielsen shows that the episode caused a +10 increase in ratings for the 9 p.m. slot in each station.

(Source Nielsen: Average Mondays two weeks prior airing date, estimated TGRPs P 35-54, 9pm-915pm: 27.96. Achieved TGRPs on airing date, P 35-54 9pm-915pm: 30.91.

Main TV stations: WKAQ/WAPA/WLII)