The Census asks you to make your voice count
The 2010 Census campaign is the largest US governmental campaign in history and definitely one of the most exciting projects we have ever worked on as an agency.
The lack of knowledge, awareness and the fear of sharing information are some of the challenges we face with our segment.
Our campaign is focused on educating people about the Census and mitigating the fear as the information is kept confidential by law.
Each piece of communication was tested in several markets and the most compelling work was chosen. We are confident that this campaign will help us raise awareness about the Census and the many benefits it can bring to our communities.
The creative is very innovative and fresh, steps away from the traditional governmental look and has a very emotional tone.
The Census is one of the ways in which we can raise our voice as a community and be heard. The Census informs the federal funding over the next ten years so it is imperative that all of us Hispanics living in the US continue to express ourselves as the largest minority in this country.
You can check out the spot GlobalHue developed as well as a video of the making of the spot here:
- Lucia Gomez, VP Group Account Director at GlobalHue
Dímelo todo / Tell Me Everything
Hispanics are social beings by nature, always looking for ways to engage with others, even people we don’t know. Simple examples are just saying hello to a fellow elevator rider, or acknowledging someone walking down the street with a good afternoon, (things you may not get from your typical New Yorker). Other examples can get a bit more, uhm, personal.
I recently took my mom to a doctor’s appointment. She’s more comfortable with Hispanic physicians because she can explain things to them better, so this doctor’s office was predominantly Hispanic as were most of the patients there. Before long Mom started talking to the woman next to her. How long have you been waiting? turned into Why are you here? Turned into Really? My mother had that (followed by a historical account of my late grandmother’s intestinal disorders), followed by It runs in my family…followed by My sister had stomach cancer…followed by…you get the idea. Before long my mother had disclosed to a complete stranger her recent medical history and that of other family members, review of past doctors, recommendations for specialists, hospitals, a recipe for tea made from avocado pits, etc. The other patient in turn contributed past doctor horror stories (including a malpractice handled by un abogado en Manhattan (a Manhattan attorney), no el de pregunta por Margarita (not the one where you ask for Margarita), the wonders of aloe vera, opinions on Cat Scans versus MRIs, etc.
Sharing experiences and disseminating information is so much greater in light of the prevalence of social media. Just think of how many more people Mom could have reached with her stories and recommendations in the same amount of time it took her to tell the one lady in the waiting room. She could have written a blog about her treatments, uploaded recipes to Facebook, posted doctor reviews online, tweeted about the great effects of the avocado tea. Mom’s in her 60’s and isn’t very tech savvy, but millions of Hispanics are and have embraced the technology.
Another way we like to socialize is chismoseando (gossiping) and if rumors en el barrio spread like wild fire before, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. These cybersapos as I like to call them, can get a chisme from Brooklyn to Barranquilla más rápido de lo que canta un gallo. (faster than a rooster crows- transadaptation: faster than a speeding bullet).
Thanks to the magic of BBpin for instance, Cleotilde can tell Johanny that she just saw Juanita’s boyfriend Arnulfo, cuddling up next to Yomari. To which Johanny can respond in disbelief…OMG, 4real? And can proceed to tweet Juanita who breaks up with Arnulfo via text, changes her status on Facebook to Single and ready to mingle, thus letting the world know, and posts a new video on You Tube “What NOT to look for in a boyfriend” dedicated to Arnulfo and that skank Yomari.
In conclusion, I’d like to leave you with this quote to keep in mind as we venture into a new communication age where undoubtedly more social media will join the likes of Facebook, Twitter, MSN, Myspace, Stickam etc.
With great power comes great responsibility— Ben Parker
Let’s use the power for good, not evil. ¿Me escuchan cybersapos?
-Mariella Vargas
Creative @GLobalHue
Are you Latino or Hispanic?
The perpetual question. Are we Latino or Hispanic?
Well according to twenty thousand first, second and third generation of Latin American descent, we are Latinos. Last week we were invited to the Aventura concert at the Madison Square Garden. The venue was packed (not many artists can sell out the Mad 4 nights in a row). The concert was an “espectáculo”, probably the most energetic and loud concert I’ve been to in the U.S.
The lead singer was very, well, Latino! He knew how to motivate the already devoted audience, used insightful humor to interact with them and his vocals were superb. But to me, the audience stole the show. While mainly Caribbean, there were people from many Latin backgrounds; Colombia, Venezuela, Perú, and even Spain. The cheering was so intense I was able to hear it in my eardrums for almost 24 hours.
As I was jumping up and down, I had an epiphany: Why don’t we embrace our Latinoness and portray it blatantly in our advertising? Why are we so afraid of being Latinos? I mean we are what we are. We are loud, eccentric, passionate, cheerful, energetic, friendly, bilingual, funny, clever, romantic, daring, sensual, dancers, unorganized, music, food and alcohol lovers, singers and exaggerated.
I really hope someday we can truly understand the DNA behind the Latino culture and communicate in a transparent and honest way with them. They are always ready, always listening; all you need to say is LATINOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOS! And they WILL answer back with passion and perhaps even have an “aventura” with your brand.
Hazel Swayne a Latinmind @GlobalHue LATINO
We asked people on Facebook what their take was on this question. You can read their great answers here.
Esta temporada de fiestas, los camellos tambien hablan
This holiday season GlobalHue Latino developed a different and fun holiday campaign for Verizon Wireless. The idea was to tap into different holiday icons. Instead of using the typical wise men, we used their camels as the protagonists and for an added twist…they talk! This idea came from the insight that the holiday season for the Hispanic market extends through January 6th when the three wise men deliver the gifts. Each camel was created with a different personality to reflect the diversity of cultures in the U.S, a Mexican, a Puerto Rican and an Argentinean.
“Who could be better experts than those who have been delivering gifts for thousands of years? That’s why we thought it would be a good idea for the camels to be Verizon’s Wireless ambassadors this holiday season” said the Executive Creative Director, Diego Yurkievich.
The four TV spots where shot by the directors David Ramser and Michael Killen in the beautiful location of Capetown, South Africa, which provided a great variety of scenarios, “talent” and production value.
The campaign began airing November 8th and will run through January 6th 2010 on national Hispanic T.V. The 360 effort accounts for a total of four TV spots, local radio, online, cinema theaters and an e-card asset hosted on the vzw.com/fiestas website; to give Hispanics the opportunity to play and interact with the camels at different levels.
- GlobalHue Latino
Joke for thought!
Ad agencies talk about cultural relevance, but we are still keeping the conversation on a very broad perspective.
What if we start dividing what Latino culture is all about into smaller/ more actionable pieces?
Let’s start with humor, for example.
Can you really translate humor from one language to another?
Or in other words… Have you ever found a German joke to be funny?
If we get to crack the code to what Latino humor is all about, maybe we could have something to help our creative development process.
Or something to talk about…
And then we could go through that same exercise with other emotions.
Love… Friendship…
How can we better connect to those emotions?
If we take a look at Latin American ads, for example, we see that they are able to touch certain emotional “fibras” that Hispanic ads just don’t.
At the end of the day, we are in the communication business. We are not here to understand or sell a specific culture. We need to focus on better understanding those emotional triggers that act as a wake up call to the Latino culture that’s inside of every bi-cultural.
Just a joke for thought.
Gustavo Razzetti
President @ GlobalHue Latino
What’s in a Name?
A lot actually. Or that’s often what parents hope when they name their child. That the name will somehow influence or be a reflection of the person they are going to become… strong, creative, one-of-a-kind, successful. More and more we hear about celebrities and their unique choices for baby…Bronx Mowgli, Rocco, Apple. For them, Jane is just, well, too plain.
Often times, names are given so that the child will aspire to be as “great” as his namesake. And in Latin America, sometimes these aspirational figures are not Hispanic ones but ones outside their culture or history. Some even reflect political views of times gone by, but nonetheless remain fixed in current baby name books. Names like Yuri and Lenín for example. I have a second cousin named Lenín (that’s LEH-NEEN, with an accent, not Leh-nin) and know 2 Yuris (YOO-REEH): one from Ecuador and one from Colombia. Sadly, I know no actual Russian Yuris.
In the case of my grandfather, his love for all things “American” played a big role in the naming of his children. Galo Jorge Washington, Tomás Edinson (close enough), Benjamín Franklin and Abraham Lincoln. Yeah, for real. He had great admiration for the U.S. and boy did he show it. (I’d also like to give a shout out to my uncle, Salvador Bolivar, who while not named for an American personality, was in fact named for El Libertador, Simón Bolivar, a great man in his own right. S’up tio!)
We can still see evidence of U.S. admiration today as more and more “American” names make their way into the name registries in Latin America…albeit with “alternative” spellings. Jhonny, Yenifer, Michel. An English name may just give their kids a certain cachet…a je ne sais quoi.
Hoping their kids will stand out, parents sometimes get really, really creative and make names out of other English-language words that sound cool to them. Words that were never meant to be names. Here’s what I’m talking about:
Usnavi- US Navy
Usmaíl- US Mail
Milady- My lady
Yesaidú- Yes I do
Juan Jondre- 100
Crismas- Christmas (I’m not kidding, and wait, there’s more…) his son Crismasito, little Christmas.
I’m waiting for an Obama Pérez, Sánchez, or Gómez to be delivered in a hospital near you. I’m sure it won’t be long. The question is, will it be a boy or a girl?
Mariella Vargas
Creative at GlobalHue Latino
October: Mes morado (purple month)
Last week I decided to go to Central Park to photograph the beautiful splendor of the autumn foliage before it disappears. That is something that I did not want to miss because it’s a unique event that happens only once a year.
On my way to the park, as I walked up Eighth Avenue, I ran into something of equal, if not greater beauty, of a different kind. As I approached the corner of (54th) street, I heard what sounded like Andean music playing and then, around the corner, I saw a group of dancers performing a typical Peruvian dance. Being the music and culture enthusiast I am, I instinctively turned in that direction and got my camera ready.
The dance was captivating, especially the little girl in typical dress that caught my eye because of her flawless dancing and focused look. She must have been around 10 years old, and looked like a true professional. Charming!
But my amazement did not stop there. Soon enough, the smell of myrrh impregnated my senses and then I noticed, about half a block down, an enormous altar, with gilded decorations and surrounded by flowers and candles. I soon learned that I was witnessing the traditional “Procesión del Señor de los Milagros” (Procession of the Lord of Miracles), dedicated to the patron saint of Lima, Peru.
As I walked over, I noticed a group of women wearing white veils and holding incense burners – the source of the myrrh smoke. They were facing a very big altar that was being carried by a group of men dressed in purple robes whose expressions spoke of unshakable faith. They held this heavy altar on their shoulders while rocking it gently from side to side as the inched their way down the street to the solemn rhythm of… yes, yet another surprise – a brass orchestra that followed behind. Then I noticed something very interesting. The crowd, instead of following the altar, was actually facing it and walking BACKWARDS as the altar moved. I imagine that this as a symbol of reverence, although I do not know if there is a meaning to this.
Occasionally, the band would stop playing and then the sound of a bell would be heard. Then the men carrying the altar would put it down gently and stood by its side where a ritual would take place. At one point, one of these rituals involved the blessing of babies, who would be handed to a (priest?) on top of the altar who would briefly hold the baby in front of the image of Jesus and then hand him/her down to his/her parents. Each time these rituals took place, a solemn silence would dominate the atmosphere. I thought this was amazing – I mean, we’re in the middle of Manhattan, and you could almost hear a pin drop. What a feeling!
But the most impressive thing of all is the enormous faith that was projected all over the place. You could feel this energy everywhere and it gave you a feeling of peace that’s very hard to describe. It turned the crowd into one solid mass of hope; a single beating heart that spelled out peace and goodwill to everyone. Amazing.
The autumn foliage in Central Park was captivating. But the crowd of purple robes that was still there after many hours, and to which I was compelled to follow once again upon my return from the park, was a type of beauty that I did not expect to find in this jungle of concrete. Another magnificent detail of the colorful mosaic that is our culture.
Alberto Bernal.
Creative @ GLobalHue Latino
Where in the world is Halloween?
As I’m sitting in my living room ready to start watching Soledad O’Brien’s Latino in America, I realize that my 4-year-old doesn’t know she is Latina. In fact, I don’t think we’ve ever said that word to her! So I start explaining what being Latino means. On an imaginary map, I show her where our countries (Perú and Spain) are in relation to the U.S. She’s fascinated, and wants to know more… Then with a deep look and her eyebrows raised, she points to the “map” and says: “Mami, ¿y donde queda Halloween?” After laughing uncontrollably, we realize that trying to explain what being a Latino is might not be the right approach. I mean she’s already being brought up as a Latina. She is fully bilingual (English is NOT allowed in our house), she recognizes already people who “son como yo porque también hablan Español” and the food she eats at home is as Latino as it gets (Arroz tapado, Tortilla de patata to name a few).
So we continue speaking about our culture to our daughter and as I am (once again) saying “en Español, ¡qué si no, no te entiendo!; we hear one of the characters in the documentary say “If I could start over, I would speak to my boys only in Spanish”. It felt it was directed to me, because I understand how draining it can get to always be pushing the kids to embrace their parents’ mother tongue. Especially, when they live in a world in English. I know all this effort and determination will some day pay off. I’ve always said I want to raise my kids immersed in the Latino culture, because the American one will come to them by default.
Knowing that every culture has its strengths and weaknesses allows me to see the best in the American culture. A culture that eats lunch at noon and dinner at 6pm; a culture used to leaving the nest at an early age, is constantly on the go and sees family only on holidays. To be honest, as a 1st Gen. raising two 2nd Gens. I feel caught in the middle of a dichotomy. And I never quite knew how to put it into words, until I heard a 16 year-old teen on Latino in America say “She wanted me to be American, but she didn’t want me to act like them.” That’s it! That’s exactly how I feel! I thought (and expressed it loudly) I want them to be proud Americans, but I also want them to act Latino. I want them to speak Spanish fluently, be able to roll their “r’s”, be superstitious, be fashionably late, say “Jode”, have dinner at 9pm, be passionate and expressive, dance bachata, jump at concerts, love Gabo and Mafalda, and to be ridiculously close to their family (in Perú, Spain and the U.S).
There’s something fascinating about being responsible for shaping the lives of biculturals. While it is a challenge, it is amusing to see how bits and pieces of each culture merge into each other to create a better and stronger one. Latino in America focused that night on finding out who is actually influencing who in America. And I truly believe reciprocity is the best way to describe this phenomenon. I will continue on my journey to influence my kids with the richest qualities of my culture and will learn to embrace this new culture that is slowly becoming mine. After all, in an ideal world they will be able to recognize the best of each culture and own it. And who knows maybe someday my daughter can show me where Halloween is on the map 
Hazel Swayne
Creative @ Latinminds
¡No queda más remedio!
When it comes to ailments, Latinos can get creative in terms of diagnosing, preventing and curing them. This time of year, it’s not uncommon for the phrase, “Pásame el vivaporú” to be heard across Hispanic households. Vivaporú, otherwise known as Vick’s Vapor Rub, makes regular appearances during cold and flu season and throughout the year. A little bit rubbed on the outer nostrils will help you sleep better at night. And many believe that if you have asthma, a little bit on your chest and back can go a long way to “destaparte” or opening up your passageways. In the Dominican Republic, the magical combination of Vicks and toilet paper can work wonders too. Spread some Vicks on your hands, rub them together vigorously, rub the warm Vicks over your child’s feet, cover them with toilet paper mummy style, then put on her socks and bye-bye cold. Take it from our own Marleny Pereyra who was a frequent object of the mummification of the feet, thanks to her mom’s devotion to Vicks.
In Venezuela, a household staple is el jabón de panela Las Llaves…an inexpensive blue soap packaged in clear cellophane that has been around for over two centuries. It’s good for everything from showering and hand washing clothes to fighting acne and arthritis. Got a pimple? Wash your face with jabón Las Llaves. Joint pain? Fill up a bucket with hot water, put a little Las Llaves in there to make it bubbly, then soak and twirl the affected wrist or ankle for approximately 10-15 minutes and you’re on our way to a speedy recovery.
Now if you find yourself traveling down from Venezuela to Ecuador and get a mosquito bite, you may be told, “hazte la cruz.” This does not mean to ask a higher power for relief, although you could try that too; it just means to locate the bite and with your nail, make an indentation line across the inflamed area and one line down the middle of it, thus making the shape of a cross. This helps with the itching. Repeat per bite.
Also passed down from generation to generation, are tips for childrearing. One that seems to be particularly common among Hispanics of various nationalities is the cure for hiccups. If a baby has the hiccups, find yourself a tiny piece of thread, red thread is preferred, and adhere it to the child’s forehead with your saliva. In a pinch, a little square piece of paper towel can be substituted for the thread. The saliva part is essential though. You gotta have the saliva for it to be effective.
Hiccups are a fairly mild affliction, but what happens if after a gathering of family and friends, the baby becomes really irritable, doesn’t want to eat or has trouble sleeping? Could it be colic? Gas? Hmmm….after you rule out the usual possibilities, it’s time to consider that at the gathering, someone may have looked at the baby or held the baby while inwardly being envious, in a bad mood or undergoing some kind of personal dilemma. Somehow this person transferred their negative vibes to the baby and “lo ojeó.” This is loosely translated as a having given the baby the evil eye. For this, you must call upon the services of a specialist in these types of maladies, (someone in the neighborhood will know someone who knows someone…). This person will rub an egg over the baby’s body. When done, he will crack the egg and place it in a bowl for all to see that the contents of the egg are now black, having absorbed all the bad energy from the baby.* The baby is instantly cured.
With all these colorful and inventive ways to care for ourselves, I think creativity is alive and well in the Hispanic community. Creativity is embraced, and this is great news for brands that can use insights like these to engage us and prove that they truly “get us.”
If you disagree, that’s ok, just don’t give me any nasty looks 
Mariella Vargas
Creative @ GlobalHue Latino
* I actually saw this once. Freaked me out!
