The Longest Erratum Ever • Revitalizing a City's Reputation, and a Brand's Heritage

Pilsen, an AB InBev-owned heritage brand, has operated out of Medellín, Colombia since 1904. An important local business and an ambassador brand for the city, Pilsen is deeply intertwined with Medellín’s history—one that had been tarnished during the American War on Drugs of the 1980s, which resulted in Medellín’s portrayal as a hotbed for less-than-savory activity. Seeking to correct the record, Pilsen partnered with us to revitalize the city’s status through a rebranding campaign.

Pilsen sought to show both Colombians and the world all the good that Medellín has to offer, shedding the city’s infamy linked to drug cartels and sex tourism. We realized early-on that much of this reputation had been fueled by media portrayals over the years, most notably a profile published by Rolling Stone in 1989 titled “The Cocaine Capital of the World,” which tied the city to the Pablo Escobar-led drug trade.

Our key win was to convince the magazine to revisit their negative, decades-old portrayal of the city. In addition to sharing the city’s positive cultural attributes, Pilsen also sought to discourage foreign tourists from visiting the city for the wrong reasons, further distancing it from unsavory activities. To support these goals, we identified popular city attractions, key historical events, and local tastemakers like J Balvin and other local celebrities who could serve as ambassadors of all the good the city had to offer to the world. Our social media experts then tailored that content in a social-first strategy.

In building content for the campaign, we designed everything for maximum shareability, encouraging the people of Medellín to embrace the message and share it with pride. Content aired on the brand’s social channels but was ultimately picked up for media coverage throughout the region.

After weeks of campaigning, Rolling Stone accepted our call. Within a month, the magazine published a new article, “Medellín Rewrites Its History.” But that wasn’t all: Medellín was named one of the top three best cities to visit by Time Out, the second-coolest city in the world by Forbes, and a slew of other positive accolades and recognition. The social-first strategy proved that while we can’t erase the past, we can rewrite it.