The Challenge
We tapped into a uniquely Puerto Rican behavior: people “eat red lights”—comerse la luz roja—a habit so widespread it’s treated as part of everyday driving culture. In March 2026, that behavior collided with a new reality. Under the administration of Jenniffer González Colón, Ley 33 introduced strict penalties: three violations could mean losing your license, plus $500 fines per offense. Overnight, red lights became impossible to ignore. We saw an opportunity for McDonald's Puerto Rico. On an island where drive-thru is the dominant sales channel, the brand is already embedded in how Puerto Rico drives. Our challenge was clear: turn a nationwide behavior shift into a culturally relevant brand moment—moving people from stopping at the intersection to choosing the drive-thru.
The Solution
We moved fast, launching “Fries for Red Lights” just days after Ley 33 passed, while the conversation was still dominating the island. The idea was simple and rooted in behavior: with fries in your hand, you don’t want the light to change, you want it to stay red. On an island known for “eating the red light,” we flipped the meaning: now, people were literally eating at the red light. For McDonald's Puerto Rico, we brought this to life through billboards placed at high-traffic intersections near drive-thrus, shot from the perspective of the red light—looking through the windshield at drivers happily enjoying fries. The line “Stay red, stay red…” anchored every execution. We reinforced the message with print ads distributed in newspapers at those same intersections. We launched during Semana Santa, when road traffic peaks due to school holidays and domestic travel—maximizing relevance and reach. The idea quickly gained traction beyond the brand: local police departments joined organically, handing out fries at participating restaurants while promoting road safety. The campaign reached 2 million vehicles daily—84.5% of drivers on the island—and drove an 11% increase in drive-thru orders at participating locations.
