United States – Developing the "Arregla Tu Futuro" Outreach Campaign

Casals & Associates developed a national public outreach campaign encouraging thousands of eligible individuals to file applications to adjust their status in the United States to that of permanent resident under the Legal Immigration and Family Equity (LIFE) Act. The campaign was for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which was formerly a part of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).

Much of the campaign was implemented in Spanish with the theme of “Arregla tu Futuro (Protect Your Future)” to reach the largely Mexican and Central American target audience. Casals & Associates developed Spanish-language radio and television spots as well as a brochure and poster urging potential applicants to protect their futures by filing applications, emphasizing the potential benefits that would open up for them and their families with legal status. We placed the spots on radio and television stations in the four markets where the target audience was most concentrated—Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and New York—and also placed the posters near phone kiosks and in grocery stores in these cities’ ethnic neighborhoods.

Working nationally with the Spanish-language television network, Univision, we were also able to arrange for the placement of these spots on the national network free of charge as public service announcements (PSAs), while local television affiliates and radio stations provided large numbers of free “spins.” Overall, we leveraged more than $1.73 million in “free” advertising from a $492,755.39 media buy.

The paid portion of the campaign was also bolstered by a public relations effort that included the following: 

• A national press conference by the INS Commissioner
• INS public affairs officer interviews on Radio Unicam, Univision national and regional television programs, and local Spanish-language radio and television programs
• Press and promotional kits for INS field offices
• A website providing background material to electronic and print media journalists as well as community-based organizations and other interested parties