LoopHotel directly tackled the challenge posed by San Juan's new curfew law through a clever, targeted intervention. By transforming a traditional hotel into a sanctuary for nightlife, La H not only sustained its direct relationships with bars and their patrons but also created a tangible response to an urgent community issue. This initiative demonstrated precision in addressing the specific needs of its partners and consumers, fostering direct engagement and immediate results. It was a campaign where strategic direct action revitalized local businesses through an unexpected and fun creative idea.

In Puerto Rico, nightlife isn’t just entertainment; it's a vital social fabric, fostering connections, culture, and economic activity. The law to halt alcohol sales post-1 a.m. was perceived not merely as an imposition but an assault on 'third places'—essential for communal life and resilience. These venues are arenas of expression, where locals unwind and forge memories through dance and dialogue, vital during past crises like governmental protests and natural disasters.

Thus, the law didn’t just disrupt nightlife; it threatened the essence of Puerto Rican identity and communal well-being.

La H's initiative was timely, directly addressing this cultural crisis and aligning perfectly with the brand's image as a defender of local traditions and advocate for the nightlife economy.

SITUATION: In November 2023, the mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico's capital city, imposed a ban on alcohol sales after 1 a.m., cutting into the time when Puerto Ricans are typically just starting their night. Not only is this law an affront to local culture and nightlife, but it's also bad for bar owners and bad for our brand. Over 35% of La H's sales come from on-premise establishments such as bars, which reported a dramatic 50% drop in sales after the law's passage.

BRIEF: Create a movement to protest the law in the name of local nightlife culture and business owners affected by the mayor's curfew.

OBJECTIVE: Defy the mayor's unpopular and unjust curfew and position La H as the champion of local nightlife, local bars, and late-night fun.

Our brand identified a loophole in the law: only hotels were allowed to sell and serve alcohol after 1 a.m. Our goal was clear: exploit this vulnerability to create buzz towards overturning the regulation. Recognizing the exemption for hotels, we set out to create our own hotel to bypass the government's own ruling, so we partnered with a local hotel willing to offer its space for what would become an epic and entirely legal after-hours celebration at our LoopHotel.

Our target audience consists of young street-savvy consumers 18-24 who cherish hanging out with friends late into the night and are in no rush to "grow up," much less obey a conservative mayor's curfew.

To capture the essence of Puerto Rico's nightlife, we partnered with many of the city's most iconic bars, offering them a safe space from which to sell to consumers late into the night. Each room in the hotel recreated the look and ambiance of a participating bar, including staff and bartenders. The result was an unprecedented themed space that allowed consumers to bar-hop and hang out late into the night without worrying too much about breaking the law.

Visiting LoopHotel was undeniably fun, but it also came to symbolize a kind of irreverent civil disobedience, with many consumers documenting their visit to highlight the absurdity of the mayor's war against fun.

After three months of hard work and endless legal paperwork, La H successfully opened its own hotel, joining forces with five iconic bars affected by the law. We recreated the atmosphere of each bar within the hotel's walls, providing consumers with an authentic taste of what San Juan's vibrant nightlife was like prior to the curfew. In turn, these bars could continue selling beer late into the night.

Before the big opening, we sparked anticipation through sneak peeks and influencer partnerships. We created a reservation and "check-in" system through Instagram, encouraging dedicated night owls to defy the city's mayor in a uniquely subversive after-hours experience. On opening night, lucky winners checked in and hopped from room to room, reveling in the festivities with a La H beer in hand. During this period, the brand regularly published recaps on social media, generating buzz, praise, and considerable debate among city residents.

La H strengthened its market presence by throwing one hell of a party that directly impacted consumers and important bars, all while standing up for Puerto Rico’s culture and economy. Simply put, LoopHotel is a unique brand experience that has become far bigger than the sum of its parts: an act of protest, an anti-establishment gathering, an after-hours hangout, and a party for the ages.

Results:

• Half a million in earned media

• 1.5 million impressions

• +140% spike in conversations about that law

• Bar sales bounced back by 35% during our activation