Global Ads Spotlight: When Marina Prieto revived the future of Spain’s subway advertising
Marina Prieto, a centenarian with just 28 Instagram followers, became the unexpected face of a B2B outdoor advertising campaign in Spain. Her story proves that even the most unlikely influencers can spark massive change. Read and watch more in our Global Ads Spotlight column.
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It's a busy day in Madrid, Spain. As metro trains rush by, the city's subways are lit up with Instagram photographs of Marina Prieto - a 100-year-old grandmother who, until recently, was relatively unknown.
The photographs show her sleeping, staring straight into the camera, surrounded by greenery. The question on everyone's mind, including leading media outlets, is: ‘Who is Marina Prieto?’
In cities like Barcelona and Madrid, subway stations are typically filled with a variety of advertisements - showcasing creativity, intuition, and high-impact brand visibility for millions of commuters.
But 2023 brought a lull. Investment in outdoor advertising, particularly in subways, declined by 7%. And then came Marina Prieto - unexpectedly breathing new life into the industry and becoming a star in her own right.
What did Marina Prieto do?
Multinational outdoor advertising company JCDecaux launched a B2B campaign titled Meet Marina Prieto, conceptualised by agency DAVID Madrid, to reignite interest among brands in outdoor advertising.
Rather than opting for a celebrity or well-known brand ambassador, JCDecaux chose an unknown face - an elderly woman spreading warmth, laughter, and positivity through her Instagram account, which at the time had just 28 followers.
JCDecaux capitalised on this by showcasing 54 of Prieto’s Instagram photos across empty advertising spaces in Madrid’s subway stations. Commuters got a glimpse into her life - and the strategy worked.
Prieto quickly became a viral sensation. Her follower count soared from 28 to over 39,000, and engagement on her posts shot up by more than 13,405%.
From comments like “Will you be my grandma?” to widespread media coverage, the campaign received critical acclaim, and brands soon began lining up to collaborate with her.
The Prieto Effect: Results
The campaign’s success was recognised at the Effie Awards, which honour effective marketing. Not only did the campaign win accolades, but it also sparked renewed interest in out-of-home (OOH) advertising.
Thanks to JCDecaux’s creative gamble, subway advertising in Spain saw a dramatic turnaround. A total of 185 brands - including Mondelez, Netflix, Amazon, Heineken, Disney+, Pernod Ricard, and Nestlé - invested in the medium, boosting JCDecaux’s profits and market relevance.
Cannes Lions 2024 recognised the effectiveness of the marketing campaign and awarded ‘Meet Marina Prieto’ with six awards. They include Dan Wieden Titanium Prix, and Grand Prix in Creative B2B, marking Spain’s first in this category.
At Cannes Lions 2024, Meet Marina Prieto swept the stage with six awards, including the Dan Wieden Titanium Prix and the Grand Prix in Creative B2B - Spain’s first-ever win in this category.
The campaign also earned:
- A Gold Lion in Outdoor
- A Bronze Lion in Creative B2B
- A Silver Lion and a Bronze Lion in Social & Influencer
And the recognition didn’t stop there.
At the D&AD Awards, the campaign won a Graphite Pencil in the Media (Micro-Talent & Influencers) category, along with two Wood Pencils in Digital & Social and Direct (Press & Out-of-Home).
JCDecaux’s Meet Marina Prieto is now a case study in effective marketing. It proves that reviving a struggling medium doesn’t require a famous face. What it does require is a sharp understanding of the problem, insight into audience sentiment, and a willingness to take creative risks.
In Prieto’s quiet charm, the advertising world found a loud and clear message: sometimes, the most unexpected stories make the strongest impact.
