Unilever, Coca-KFC, Mercedes, Audi, Freeway Insurance…. and other brands targeting the U.S. consumer right now. Check our prior Sales Leads columns.
Unilever
Unilever announced a newly formed, company-wide and purpose-led initiative, “Nos Inspiras Tú,” (You Are Our Inspiration) committing to driving change and advancing social impact work that connects in more meaningful ways with Hispanics in the U.S. Nos Inspiras Tú is a public declaration to the Hispanic community; a commitment to listen closer and remain inspired by Hispanics in order to address their needs across Unilever and its portfolio of brands. Research shows most Hispanics (71%) believe that brands are not doing enough to effectively create meaningful connections with them on their campaigns. With the majority of Hispanics actively seeking out brands that support their community or take the time to understand what matters most to them. The Nos Inspiras Tú platform is an evolving initiative directly linked to the Hispanic consumer’s dynamic needs. The first phase of the initiative launches with programs from Unilever’s Dove, Knorr and Hellmann’s brands. As a first step, Unilever is unveiling creative during Hispanic Heritage Month that pays homage to Hispanics in the U.S. – their sense of community, pride of heritage, entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to progress – as inspiration for Unilever and its family of brands. Passion for food and community has inspired product innovation and community service work on the Knorr brand while partnerships with Hispanic dads who have shown what fatherhood means has helped shape how Dove Men+Care modernized masculinity through advocacy for paid paternity leave and fatherhood-focused content series. The Nos Inspiras Tú vision and actions build upon Unilever’s ‘Act 2 Unstereotype’ initiative that aims to integrate more inclusive thinking across its end-to-end marketing process and helping brands create a generation free from prejudice. By serving more diverse people in a progressive way, Unilever believes its brands can be at the forefront of shaping a fairer and more inclusive world.
Mercedes
Omnicom Group has been awarded the global consolidated media, brand and performance marketing account for Mercedes-Benz, after vying for the business against fellow incumbent Publicis Groupe. The German automotive giant was looking for a single-agency model to manage its global media and marcoms business, and Omnicom’s triumph is the result of a six-month closed review between the two rival agency groups. In an unusual move, Omnicom has bought two German-based agencies, digital shop Antoni and PR firm OSK, that already work with the client after they collaborated during the pitch process. The new “long-term partnership” between Mercedes-Benz and Omnicom is due to kick off in January 2022, under the moniker “Team X”. Up till now, Omnicom already had the majority of the media and marketing scope while Publicis Groupe was focused on creative, digital and CRM.
Audi
Volkswagen Group´s Audi has put its U.S. creative account into agency review. Incumbent Venables, Bell & Partners, which has held the account for 14 years, will participate in the review.The review comes 10 months after Audi of America hired Tara Rush as its chief marketing officer.
KFC
KFC, part of YUM! Brands, has placed its U.S. media and creative accounts under review, Mediapost reports. Wieden + Kennedy, is the incumbent for both media and creative, has been invited to defend. Annual media spending by the fast-food chicken chain is about US $170 million according to COMvergence.
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola Racing’s Daniel Suarez is the sole Mexican-born driver currently on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit. He is the face of and focal point of an industry-wide initiative that began in 2019, Daniel’s Amigos, with a goal to drive awareness and grow the Hispanic and Latino fan base in the sport of NASCAR. As a rising star in the sport that is proud of his Mexican roots, Daniel has teamed with Coca-Cola Racing to plan several special moments throughout Hispanic Heritage Month. First, Daniel raced on September 18 in the Bass Pro Shops night race in Bristol, TN, in a specially designed car with a Hispanic Heritage Month commemorative paint scheme. The second event is a Daniel’s Amigos meet-and-greet event with Daniel Suarez before the race in Las Vegas on Sunday, September 26. This event will be in partnership with Coca-Cola, NASCAR, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Trackhouse Racing (Daniel’s racing team). Daniel will wrap up Hispanic Heritage Month in Charlotte, North Carolina. Coca-Cola and NASCAR will be sponsors of the 9th annual Charlotte Hola Festival, the largest Hispanic Heritage celebration in Charlotte highlighting Latin American culture and all its richness. It is taking place on October 9th. Daniel will make an appearance, speaking to festival attendees and giving away some tickets to the October 10th race, the Bank of America ROVAL 400, which will happen in Concord, North Carolina, just outside of Charlotte.
At this exclusive event on March 31, 2022 , Brand Decision Makers and Marketing Service Suppliers wil accelerated knowledge on key topics including multicultural marketing, e-commerce marketing and marketing technologies. To find out about networking solutions at PortadaLive involving a myriad of brand decision-makers from all over the Americas, please contact Sales Coordinator Michelle Lopez at [email protected].
Freeway Insurance
Freeway Insurance, a division of Confie, the largest independent personal lines agency and broker in the U.S., is proud to celebrate Hispanic Heritage month. For nearly 35 years, Freeway has been a committed partner and contributing member of the Hispanic communities it serves across the country. Confie encourage employees to contribute their time, talent, and resources toward their communities. Part of this corporate social responsibility program focuses on Hispanic non-profit agencies such as the Read Conmigo and Para Los Niño’s organizations. Freeway Insurance is one of an increasing number of companies that advertise in both English and Spanish. As well, Freeway recently implemented a nationwide sports marketing sponsorship with Mexican-American NASCAR driver Daniel Suárez , see above under Coca Cola , and Trackhouse Racing Team as the company’s first celebrity spokesperson. The company selected Suárez based not only on his driving potential, but on his passion for giving back to his Hispanic community roots and his powerful life story of perseverance and success against all odds. Confie is proud to reaffirm its commitment to serving and supporting diverse communities, an approach that will remain the foundation of its growth and focus. National Hispanic Heritage Month, which started on Sept. 15 and continues thru Oct. 15, celebrates U.S. Hispanics, their culture and their history.
McCormick®
To celebrate Día de los Muertos, also known as Day of the Dead, McCormick® has partnered with Eva Longoria, Lilliana Vazquez and Poderistas™ to share traditions and knowledge about the Mexican holiday with free family-friendly content and an exclusive online product giveaway.As part of the partnership, McCormick will release a limited number of free Mexican Hot Chocolate Craft Kits on McCormick.com/DayoftheDead starting September 28, 2021 at 12:00 PM Eastern Time. The kits will feature information about Día de los Muertos curated by Poderistas, Eva Longoria and Lilliana Vazquez, as well as ingredients and tools needed to make Creamy Mexican Hot Chocolate, including: Mexican chocolate discs; McCormick Ground Cinnamon, Chipotle Chili Pepper, and Pure Vanilla Extract; a traditional wooden molinillo to whisk the hot chocolate; and an artisanal clay mug that can be decorated with colorful heritage-inspired designs using the included paint markers. To complement the warm treat, also included is a pack of just-released PEEPS® Marshmallow Skulls, that will allow one to create a sugar skull-inspired stirrer. Leading up to Día de los Muertos, Poderistas co-founders, Eva Longoria and Elsa Collins, will host an Instagram Live event from @poderistas and @evalongoria in late October, where they will unbox the kit, decorate the clay mugs and demonstrate how to make the Creamy Mexican Hot Chocolate recipe, all while leading an important conversation about the significance of the celebration, including their personal stories and traditions. Similarly, Lilliana Vasquez will also be sharing information about Día de los Muertos, engaging her followers around culinary traditions.Once the kits are gone, fans can still take part in the fun, learn more about the holiday, and plan a special meal from appetizer to dessert. The new Creamy Mexican Hot Chocolate recipe, along with other delicious staples and fun takes like Pan de Muerto, Guajillo Red Pozole, Chile Chicken Tamales, Churro Whoopie Pies, and more are all available on McCormick.com/DayoftheDead.
At this exclusive event on March 31, 2022 , Brand Decision Makers and Marketing Service Suppliers will accelerate knowledge on key topics including multicultural marketing, e-commerce marketing, and marketing technologies. To find out about networking solutions at PortadaLive involving a myriad of brand decision-makers from all over the Americas, please contact Sales Coordinator Michelle Lopez at [email protected].
BOK Financial
BOK Financial, a bank holding company headquartered in the BOK Tower in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has appointed Chicago based Vladimir Jones as its AOR after a formal review. The agency will work with its new client to reach and engage consumer, commercial and investment banking audiences with ad campaigns that bring the financial services company’s brand purpose to the forefront.Initial work under the new partnership will debut in early 2022.
