talk

Recently AdWeek featured an article on the Hispanic baby boom as a part of its ‘Kids Issue’. The article noted that “1 in 4 children in the US are Hispanic” and “Hispanic children were born at a rate four times the total population between 2000 and 2010”. The rapid growth of the Hispanic population is extremely important to marketers and as a result they have increased their Hispanic marketing budgets.

The growth of the Hispanic population in the U.S. may force marketers to take a second look at communications strategies targeting young Latinos. It poses another issue for companies trying to navigate the “should we advertise in English or Spanish?” terrain as these children are more likely to be second, third or even fourth generation Hispanics who may not be as familiar with Spanish. Targeting this segment can be tricky and requires a lot of research in order to gain insight on how to develop a strategic plan for reaching them that acknowledges their Hispanic heritage yet incorporates their experience as young Americans.

William Levy is starring in Spanish-language Sabritas ads, the ads are a good example of how to make the most of spokesperson spending. William Levy is a Latin heart throb with a tremendous amount of appeal, especially to the Hispanic female demographic. Not only have the ads been a big hit but they effectively use Levy to appeal to the female demographic while conveying a very specific message about the brand.

The spots feature Levy in different scenarios. In one ad Levy is spotted walking down the street eating Sabritas and pandemonium ensues when droves of women chase him into an alley. A female police officer fights through the crowd of screaming women to snag Levy’s Sabritas and Levy directs the women’s attention toward the Sabritas, this causes the screaming women to surround the police officer. The ads allude to an underlying question: Which is more irresistible, Sabritas or William Levy? In each spot Sabritas wins, proving to be more irresistible than Levy, but that is a very hard choice to make…

Check out the spots on YouTube

Written by Autumn

The U.S., Brazil and Trinidad are gearing up to celebrate on Fat Tuesday (February 21st) with 3 of the biggest parties in the world in honor of CARNIVAL!!! also known as Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Louisiana. Carnival is inspired by the Catholic tradition of Lent. Carnival is celebrated on and around Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday which marks the beginning of Lent. It is tradition to overindulge in order to prepare for Lent, during which one is expected to abstain from all bodily pleasures. Carnival revelers celebrate by dancing and drinking hard liquor. The centuries old, multi-day celebration melds African, European and Indigenous traditions to create a visual feast of bright colors, glittering costumes and dancing in the streets. Whether jammin’ to Jazz in New Orleans, Louisiana, Samba in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil or Soca in Port of Spain, Trinidad, attendees of carnival can expect an out of this world experience.

Written by Autumn Dunn

The Sundance Film Festival is an event that is always sure to unearth a few cinematic diamonds in the rough. This year was no different. Filmmaker Aurora Guerrero heated up the festival with her film Mosquita y Mari,“a coming of age story that focuses on a tender love between two young Chicanas, [their love]…struggles to find its place in their lives and in today’s world”. The film, which was partially supported with money from the funding platform Kickstarter, is set in an immigrant community in LA and stars young new comers Fenessa Pineda and Venecia Troncoso. The relationship between Mosquita y Mari is complicated because the girls must situate their feelings for each other within the context of the social norms set out for them by their Mexican immigrant families. Mosquita y Mari lies at the intersection of cultural expectations, social stigmas and forbidden, yet unconditional love.

written by Autumn Dunn

The most prestigious time for any Hollywood actor, is February when the Oscars are rolling, set, and awarded. One nominee that stood out was up and coming nominee Damien Bichir. Nominated for best actor in his role in A Better Life, this Mexican actor is rather unknown to Hollywood. However, in Mexico, his entire family had their own category in Mexico’s MTV Movie Awards; talk about prestige.

In the film industry since the age 14, Bichir has a total of 62 film credits most of them being Spanish language films. Surprised at his nomination, Bichir said to US Weekly, that he felt overwhelmed having his name grouped with incredible actors. Moreover, he dedicated his nomination to all the millions of illegal immigrants who live in America, thanking them for making life in the US better and easier. This being Bichir’s biggest break yet in Hollywood, it might just give him a better life as well.

written by Ashley Estrella

Forbes “30 Under 30” is always filled with astonishing individuals who give hope to this new technological and innovated age that is upon us. It is always filled with a mix of inventors, and scientists, engineers and everything in between. One nominee, in particular, stood out more than the rest. At the young age of 17, Javier Fernandez-Han is an inventor who will someday change the world.

Fernandez-Han was placed on the list for his innovative use of algae. He invented a way to use algae to digest sewage and capture methane to be used as fuel. This young scientist surpasses his age by far; even at the age of 14 he founded his very own organization. In an interview Fernandez-Han said that he enjoys what he does and invents with the hope of helping the poor with what he creates. Sometimes the best way to learn is to think out of the box by coming up with new and innovative things no one has thought to teach (or do) before.

written by Ashley Estrella

Today February 1^st, Comedy Central is set to release a Latin American channel for all to enjoy. Viacom International Media Network announced the broadcast launch of Comedy Central Latin America to be across the region. With the key markets being in Latin America, coverage of the new channel will be in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and Venezuela. This channel will feature the renowned shows of their original productions and even be available in Portuguese, as well as Spanish. There are also new original shows set to air; La Familia del Barrio, being one of them.

Laughter is contagious, and the expansion of it is indefinite. But the new smiles worldwide will be the ongoing trend that Comedy Central has been working on for years.

written by Ashley Estrella

Puerto Rican actor José Ferrer will appear on a First-Class Forever Stamp in 2012 as the 14th luminary celebrated in the U.S. Postal Service’s Distinguished Americans series. Ferrer won several Tony Awards, performed in more than 60 movies, and earned three Academy Award nominations. Born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, Ferrer played Iago in Margaret Webster’s Broadway 1943 production of Othello, which became the longest-running production of a Shakespeare play staged in the U.S., a record it still holds.

The Post Office issued their first stamp in 1847 and over 4,000 stamps have been created since then. So cheers to all the prominent Latinos in the U.S. in pursuit of the American Dream. Cheers to those who followed their dreams and made it onto Broadway, Hollywood or the U.S. Postal Service’s Distinguished Americans series. And, cheers to the rest that continue to inspire us to be better everyday, believe that we can fulfill our dreams and encourage others to keep up the spirit.

¡Salud!

written by Catherine Cuello,  the vox

People of all ages, ranging from 18 to 74 gathered together in Lima, Peru to be married this past Tuesday, December 27^th. This was the last mass wedding ceremony of the year for many ‘Limeños’.  It’s been noticed that more and more people are turning to these mass ceremonies and passing up the more traditional vows of marriage; certainly the fact that they are significantly less expensive than individual ceremonies has a lot to do with it. Couples paid roughly $10 for the joint ceremony, avoiding Lima’s $145 fee. The 92 couples all took their vows and exchanged rings in unison during the Tuesday nuptials, which the city’s mayor, Susana Villaran, officiated.

Walking in the streets of Lima it is not uncommon to see couples getting married in mass. A few popular places are: El Parque del Amor (on the Costa Verde), Los Olivos, by the beach in La Costa Verde, and various other romantic spots throughout the city.

I remember a few years ago, I was walking with my family and my grandfather; who lives close to Los Olivos, and we walked straight through some 20 or 30 people, all dressed up and ready to jump on the bandwagon. As we walked by we started talking about the idea of getting married in such a big group. The first thoughts that came to mind were… why would anyone want to get married alongside so many people whom you know nothing about? But as we got closer to one of the couples there, I noticed they really were paying no mind to the other 25 people. The way they saw it, it was their own special day, they were getting married and that was that.

Written by: Nicolas Pinto

One of the most recent (and most adorable) YouTube sensations is a father and daughter duo from San Diego, Jorge and Alexa Narvaez. It all started as a way for Jorge to help his daughter get through his split with her mother; they would sing together as he played on his acoustic guitar. Around this time last year is when he posted their first video and things just took off from there… weeks later they were on the Ellen Degeneres show and now most recently the two star in a bilingual Christmas commercial for Hyundai, singing the ever popular- Feliz Navidad.  I’m sure we’ll be seeing much more from these two in the future!