Over the course of our two-day Leading the Change forum, we covered many topics – from Hispanic Market entry case studies to multiplatform execution – with our client and agency partners. I’ll give you the inside scoop on what went down in the coming weeks. First stop: Effective Creative.
Three executives from leading Hispanic agencies took us through the process of how some of the most ingenious and successful campaigns we’ve seen came to life. Luis Miguel Messianu, president and CCO of Alma, shared the challenge McDonald’s presented them: launch the latest addition to the smoothie line – Mango Pineapple – while continuing to drive the McCafé brand.
Their solution to drive sales was simple: recognize that while non-Hispanics consider mangoes and pineapples “exotic,” for Hispanics these fruits are native so they are well-known and loved. Their spot featured a Hispanic woman being transported to the beauty and nostalgia of home the moment she tastes the smoothie. The commercial ran in both English and Spanish with the tagline: “Me Encanta” (I love it). According to NPD Crest, McDonald’s share of the smoothie market for Hispanic consumers increased 130% year-over-year surrounding the time of the campaign’s run. Messianu’s key takeaways for the audience: you must touch a nerve with the end consumer, break paradigms and stay away from clichés.
Next Lápiz’s senior vice president/head of Account Management, Pablo Miro shared his three defining principles of creative:
- Like is acceptance. Love is a choice.
- The Consumer is Not Boss. Culture is Boss.
- Be Simple, meaningful and impactful.
The agency’s campaign for Pepto Bismol illustrated these. They were asked to “bring the brand out of the medicine cabinets and back into people’s lives” to help them compete with generic brands. The campaign led with culture, not function, and was grounded in the fact that food plays a significant role in the lives of Hispanics. That was the birth of the “Don’t Let the Food You Love Hurt You” campaign, which gave foods like empanadas and cheesecakes starring roles as unfaithful lovers in novela-style narratives.
Finally, Conill’s vice president/creative director Rafael Ramirez shared the 2013 Effie-nominated work for its “My Tide” campaign. They were tasked with launching new products without cannibalizing others in the product line and developed a concept asking consumers what their favorite tide products are. In this way, consumers felt ownership of the campaign and products. Storytelling played a major role. The campaign initially followed one family – mom, college-age daughter, and the daughter’s boyfriend – in a series of seemingly unscripted, humorous spots executed on TV and digital video and adapted for outdoor. In its second year, the campaign resulted in the first-ever bilingual ad for the brand running in both English and Spanish-language TV.
According to Ramirez, the campaign helped Tide grown share of dollars and IAG showed the brand had the highest recalled TV commercials in North America following their initial air date.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on these or any other campaigns that “touched a nerve” for you and your consumers. Reach out: @Hispanic411.
