HELLO/HOLA
My name is Eduardo Cintron.
I started in advertising "unofficially" when I was six years old. I sold my mom's free perfume samples and my dad's free office calendars for a dollar. I also ran the “Panini stickers” black market in school. Yes, I was SIX.
In high school, I sold CDs and managed the branding of a few hardcore, punk, and ska bands I used to play in. I also started an indie record label and a zine to promote local bands.
My first professional role in design was during college. I was a graphic and flash designer at PUERTO RICO’s first interactive agency.
When I moved to NYC, I joined The Vidal Partnership, an ad agency that allowed me to expand my knowledge into TV advertising, strategy, and full 360 campaigns. I kept growing and learning at several other agencies like Lapiz-Leo Burnett, R/GA, and Energy BBDO.
My passion for storytelling enticed me to write and direct tv commercials, short films, screenplays, and even a graphic novel.
All this is to say that I'm a storyteller at heart. I'm a maker. I can create and tell stories in 15 seconds or two hours. I could tell stories through illustrations, photography, or MUSIC.
ALLSTATE
Protection Is Our Game
Allstate "Wall"
SITUATION
Gearing up for the World Cup, Allstate needed to connect with Hispanic CUSTOMERs on an emotional level, So they became sponsors of the Mexican national team.
TASK
make insurance relevant to soccer fans.
Allstate "Gloves"
Allstate "Hands"
ACTION
I wanted to talk to fans about car insurance in soccer terms, so I found a natural connection between both insurance and soccer: PROTECTION.
and who better to be our protection ambassador than the iconic goalkeeper from the Mexican National Team.
The "Protection Is Our Game" was a 360-degree platform that included TV COMMERCIALS, social and web presence, interactive games, and live sponsorships, to reinforce Allstate's position as a proactive protection leader.
Allstate MNT Print Ad
Allstate MNT Poster
Our resources and talent were invested in this platform for more than a year before the World Cup. At one point, when frustration was running high in my team, I walked to an art supply store and purchased acrylics, brushes, paper, etc. I asked my team to come in and leave their laptops at their desk. Together we spent an afternoon painting freely. The team reconnected. From that session, several print ads and posters were created.
Lapiz-Leo Burnett never produced anything digitally before I arrived, so I saw the opportunity to expand the agency offering by starting its digital practice.
I made Allstate the agency case study. I had a strong relationship with the client, so I was able to test all the latest innovations and technology available for the web. We created many digital interactions, rich media banners, and social media integrations.
The "Protection Is Our Game" website taught me about the strategic thinking and technical details a reliable, fully interactive experience requires.
Allstate "MNT Digital Showcase"
Allstate Kaptura App-Game
RESULTS
Unaided sponsorship awareness tripled to reach 50% while investment levels remained flat versus the previous year. Additionally, the awareness level was higher than any other Mexican National Team sponsors, including long‐time sponsors like Coca‐Cola and McDonald’s.
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The sponsorship outperformed all other Allstate sponsorship programs (College Football and NASCAR) with respect to the following empathy measures:
brand CONSIDERATION / 87% (up from 76%)
Allstate’s involvement with soccer made the consumer think more favorably about the brand.influence to get a quote / 72% (up from 50%)
Allstate’s affiliation with the Mexican National Team would influence the consumer to get a quote.
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55% would recommend Allstate to a friend (up from 49%)
Sales leads increased 44% over the previous year
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The TV commercial "Wall" was published in the Communication Arts Advertising Annual.
The website had a high volume of visitors and engagement. It was featured as "site of the day" at Creativity.com and also won several interactive awards.
“PROTECTION IS OUR GAME” won a silver Effie for its business results.
PERSONAL conclusion
THIS EXPERIENCE BROUGHT A LOT OF PROFESSIONAL GROWTH, NOT ONLY BECAUSE I HAD MUCH BIGGER RESPONSIBILITES BY TAKING CARE OF A BRAND AND A CREATIVE TEAM, BUT ALSO BECAUSE IT ALLOWED ME TO CONNECT WITH THE CONSUMER IN A MUCH DEEPER LEVEL THAN OTHER BRANDS I WORKED FOR IN THE PAST.
NBA
This is why we play
NBA "Live"
SITUATION
We were in the second season for the "This is why we play" campaign and The NBA had two main challenges:
TV ratings were lower than expected.
Many cities needed a boost to help with ticket sales.
TASK
to engage with CASUAL fans and enhance the benefits of watching the game live.
NBA "Feel it"
ACTION
THE COMMUNICATION WAS BASED ON THE FAN EXPERIENCE and the anticipation.
I ENHANCED THE EMOTIONAL ASPECT OF WATCHING THE NBA'S SPECTACLE RIGHT AT THE MOMENT OF GREATNESS, as an alternative to consuming HIGHLIGHTS the next day.
The work either focused on the court experience or tv tune-in. The strategy was valid for both.
Tune-in is NBA's primary goal. It's what they can monetize.
NBA "Epic"
NBA "Feast"
At the NBA, I was a real swiss army knife. I was a designer, art director, copywriter, creative director, producer, director, editor, and post-production coordinator, just to name a few roles. I designed presentations and wrote/directed TV commercials. No task was too small or too big.
Some projects had enough budget for production; in others, I had to find ways to make them happen, such as a series of TV commercials using only archival footage.
This experience had many challenges, but I welcomed them all.
Social Interactive Campaign
NBA Email Campaign
The NBA sends several tune-in emails every week. To help them save on development costs, I design an email template so the marketing team can easily populate images and team logos. Thanks to this initiative, their cost of email production is now reduced by more than 50%.
RESULTS
The "LIVE ONLY HAPPENS ONCE" TV spot was renewed for multiple seasons after its release, right until the pandemic disrupted all live events.
Audiences exposed to the overarching messaging were +30% more likely to tune-in.
That supported the strategy to first build awareness, which ultimately drives tune-in.
PERSONAL conclusion
WORKING IN HOUSE AT THE NBA ALLOWED ME TO RAISE THE QUALITY OF THE WORK, AND IN A WAY BUILD SOME STANDARDS FOR THE MARKETING TEAM. (EVEN THOUGHT THEY TOLD ME A FEW TIMES THAT THEY WEREN'T NIKE, LOL). IT MADE ME APPRECIATE AND UNDERSTAND THE CLIENT SIDE BETTER BY WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE STRATEGY, SOCIAL, AND MEDIA TEAMS.
PRESIDENTE
NEVER LEFT
PRESIDENTE "Never Left"
SITUATION
new york yankees legend Alex Rodriguez Joins Presidente beer As Chairman And Co-Owner. The company wants to break the news during the super bowl.
TASK
to prep, shoot, and post-produced a tv spot with six days remaining for the super bowl.
ACTION
I started to build my team right after the first call with the client.
I visualized the script and sketched the storyboards during my flight to Miami. I presented my treatment to the agency as soon as I landed.
We scouted in a day and a half and secured permits in Miami during Super Bowl week. I recorded Alex's VO in between scouts. The next day we shot all the scenes based on my shooting plan, which took into consideration Alex Rodriguez's limited time with us.
we spent two more days editing, mixing, and color-correcting the spot.
I supervised the whole process until the commercial was released.
I got several calls throughout the pre-production process asking if it was better to cancel the shoot. Many stakeholders were afraid of finishing with a low-quality product based on the tight deadline and all the production hurdles. I had to calm and assure everyone that we needed to keep pushing forward. This was an opportunity I was not going to let pass.
