Miserable in Puerto Rico Is No Longer Miserable, Thanks to Puerto Rico Tourism

JWT and Tourism Authority Send Him Back for a Redo, With His Family

Published On
May 08, 2015
(Not) Miserable in Puerto Rico

Editor's Pick

Remember Kevin Blandford, who last month won an all-expenses paid vacation to Puerto Rico but couldn't take his wife and documented the "miserable" time he had without her? Well, Mr. Blandford got a chance to redo his trip, this time, with his wife and daughter, thanks to JWT Puerto Rico and Puerto Rico Tourism.

This campaign has been brewing pretty much since Mr. Blandford's story hit the internet, according to JWT Puerto Rico CCO Jaime Rosado. Once the agency saw his story, it realized it was a perfect marketing opportunity and asked its client Puerto Rico Tourism if it would provide an all-expenses paid "makeover" trip for Mr. Blandford and his family. The client agreed and the agency retook all the same pics Mr. Blandford had originally shot, but this time the photos featured him and his family with beaming faces.

Mr. Blandford then uploaded the new pics to Reddit yesterday, and they quickly hit the top of the charts again. The biggest challenge, Mr. Rosado said, was turning the idea around fast enough while Mr. Blandford's story was still fresh in readers' minds.

He said he believes it's a perfect example of a "real-time" marketing idea, a strategy which has led to great creative for the client. Previously, the agency made all of us suffering the crappy East Coast winter feel even more crappy with its campaign showing people recreating "snow dives" in the Caribbean.