The Challenge
We partnered with Medalla Light to tackle a unique growth challenge: expanding its relevance among the 6 million Puerto Ricans living in the mainland U.S. a community nearly twice the size of the island’s population. We identified a core cultural tension. Puerto Ricans in the diaspora constantly navigate between adapting to American life and preserving the identity, humor, and pride that define their heritage. While many brands take a broad “Hispanic” approach, we knew that would fall short. Medalla needed to connect in a way that felt specific, authentic, and unmistakably Puerto Rican. Our challenge was clear: position Medalla as a true cultural connector, a symbol of pride and belonging for Puerto Ricans in the U.S.—without diluting the brand’s deeply rooted identity, even in the face of pressure to assimilate into mainstream culture.
The Solution
We uncovered a powerful cultural insight: Puerto Ricans living in the U.S. preserve their identity through language, playfully mistranslating Spanish expressions into awkward English as a form of pride and defiance. We turned this into “Found in Translation,” a platform that transformed everyday Puerto Rican sayings into intentionally incorrect English, creating a culturally resonant, insider code. For Medalla Light, this became a way to connect authentically without diluting its identity. We brought the idea to life across digital, outdoor, and print in diaspora hubs like New York, Miami, Orlando, and Chicago, inviting Puerto Ricans nationwide to submit their own sayings. The best mistranslations were featured on billboards, amplified on social media, and compiled into a collectible coffee table book. This playful yet meaningful approach drove strong participation, increased brand preference, and cemented Medalla Light as a true cultural symbol for the Puerto Rican diaspora.
