Corporations Capitalize on Hispanic Culture
Brands launch marketing campaigns surrounding Hispanic Heritage Month.
This September and October, as members of the Latinx community gather to celebrate and embrace their culture during Hispanic Heritage Month, another group decided to join in the festivities: corporations. Brands like Target, Barbie, Peloton, Macy’s and DC Comics are launching their very own Hispanic Heritage Month campaigns. In a new business strategy phenomena dubbed “social justice marketing” companies attempt to take a stronger role in fighting social issues with varying degrees of authenticity and success.
Illustration by Andrea Marcy
"Multicultural Marketing has certainly evolved, especially over the past several years. While I believe most Corporations have their best intentions in mind, some may be considered 'tone deaf' and/or 'insensitive,' at times reinforcing stereotypes,” Santa Monica College Public Relations Professor A.J Adelman said. “It's the job of their Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations agencies to counsel clients toward campaigns that represent diversity, inclusivity and equity for all."
Barbie is introducing a new Dia De Los Muertos Collection consisting of two new collectible dolls designed by Mexican designer Benito Santos. According to Barbie, the collection features a doll fashioning a “bespoke black dress with white and crimson details, a dramatic mermaid hemline, and a cropped bolero jacket." The collection also includes a ken doll wearing a traditional charro attire with long tight embodied pants and a bolero Jacket. Benito Santos had drawn inspiration for these dolls from the widely celebrated Hispanic holiday Dia de los Muertos showing the dolls with their face painted.
Target is partnering with over 90 smaller Latin owned brands. Target describes the motive behind their campaign as a hope “to show recognition to Latino communities during Latino Heritage Month and beyond — offering products that bring our guests joy while spotlighting Latino-owned and founded brands.” The objects being sold range from graphic tees sporting the phrase “corazon latino,” earrings spelling “chula,” and "Millennial Lotería."
Peloton is leading 3 bilingual rides-to-tunes from popular Latin artists. In addition to these classes, the company advertised a donation of $100,000 to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, a partnership they are continuing.
Macy's is running a charitable campaign to benefit the Hispanic Federation by asking customers to donate and round up on purchases. Macy’s chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer, Shawn Outler, issued a statement on the company’s behalf saying “recognizing the contributions, culture, and impact of Hispanic/Latino Americans is integral to Macy’s mission of building a brighter future for our colleagues, customers, and communities.”
DC Comics released new covers to popular titles with the titular heroes sporting different Latin-American foods. One such cover features Green Lantern holding a Mexican flag with the eagle and corn. This cover paid homage to "Madre Patria", a famous mural in Mexico by Jorge Gonzalez Camarena. DC later decided to change the cover to the Green Lantern holding a bag of Tamales, a traditional Mexican dish, with a flag that reads "Viva Mexico" in the background.
These ideas from the corporations themselves have also caught the attention of SMC students. Diana Ventura, first-gen SMC student, says “I actually like the fact that they are representing the Hispanic community, now they are trying to be more equal giving a taste to let everyone know that we all matter, so I am glad that they are doing this and that people from other cultures get to see our culture.” When asked about how they felt about these campaigns all of a sudden being supportive of the Hispanic culture SMC student David Garcia said “I think I’m in between with all this, we obviously live in a white society so we love equality, progress is progress, they definitely are backhanding off this culture but nevertheless it’s good.”
The strategies these companies have approached to gain a wider audience has definitely given them press. Target, Barbie, Peloton and Macy’s marketing team have done their job and reached their desired audience and will continue to advertise Hispanic heritage throughout October.
