How a comatose comic character awakened a government

With the objective of getting the Puerto Rican government to increase the miniscule fine for 'texting and driving', McCann San Juan conceptualised a campaign for Primera Hora daily. 

 

The newspaper had a fictional character called Pepito. A column featuring the character was published daily. McCann San Juan collaborated with Pepito’s creators and decided that Pepito would be hit by a driver, who was texting and driving. Pepito was enroute the House of Representatives at that time, as he was demanding stricter laws to fight 'texting and driving' as the fine was too low and not taken seriously. 

 

The next few days' toons had Pepito in hospital, in coma. The character would recover only after the legislators approved a stricter law, and the comic strip used its daily reach to pressure the government to act.

 

Readers were asked to write, call and e-mail the government to change the existing law. Else, Pepito would not wake from his coma. 

 

The government gave in and approved a five-fold increase of the 'text and drive' fine, from US$ 50 to US$ 250.

 

Credits

 

Client: GFR Media (Primera Hora newspaper) 

Agency: McCann San Juan

Creative directors: Aníbal E. Quiñones and Harold Jessurun

Art directors: Harold Jessurun

Copywriter: Aníbal E. Quiñones