The Challenge
Cris-Sal is Ecuador’s #1 salt brand. But in Latin America, salt isn’t just a seasoning—it’s also seen as a source of bad luck. In sports culture especially, 'salar' (to salt) means to jinx a player or team. Compliment an athlete too much before a key play, and fans will say you 'salted' them. This deeply rooted superstition is taken seriously across the region. The year 2024 marked a monumental moment for Ecuadorian sports, with World Cup qualifiers, Copa América, and the Olympics all on the horizon. It was the perfect opportunity for Cris-Sal to rally behind the national team. However, because of its unlucky reputation, the brand had to rewrite the narrative—transforming a cultural challenge into a creative advantage to help Ecuador win. Cris-Sal faced a unique challenge: its name was synonymous with bad luck in sports.
The Solution
Instead of shying away from this association, we turned it into a strength. The concept? Sneak 'jinxes' disguised as compliments into live sports radio—transforming praise into subtle sabotage aimed at Ecuador’s rivals. The approach was bold, unexpected, and deeply rooted in local culture. By blending superstition with media in a way that had never been done before, Cris-Sal didn’t just advertise—it became part of the fan experience. Each seemingly innocent mention carried a hidden edge, and fans quickly caught on, spreading the campaign organically across social media and sports shows. This wasn’t just a media buy—it was cultural participation. A clever twist that turned a brand’s perceived weakness into a celebrated act of fandom, proving that sometimes, bad luck can make for brilliant branding.