Get the streets talking and you’ll garner plenty of attention. That’s what Ogilvy & Mather set out to do. In early 2015, Panama City’s streets were riddled with potholes. They were not only inconvenient and dangerous, they had many drivers worried about damaging their vehicles. Ogilvy & Mather’s response was to make the streets tweet. They set up a Twitter account called El Hueco Twitero, or The Tweeting Pothole. Then, they set up pressure sensors in potholes around the city. Every time a car hit the sensor, it sent a transmission to a receiver, which resulted in a Twitter bot posting a message. The message always included the Twitter handle of the Minister of Public Works, Ramón Arosemena, so the problem could not be ignored.
The campaign did rather well, catching the attention of the Minister. He even addressed the situation on television. Panama City’s roads have seen their conditions improve. This will probably set a precedent for similar campaigns in the future.
