Dive Brief:
- Verizon used MTV's broadcast of the Video Music Awards last night to run a TV spot almost entirely in Spanish with no translation, according to MediaPost Communications. MediaPost said this is a first for the telecom and is believed to be a first for a mainstream advertiser during a mainstream program as well.
- The ad, created by McCann and multicultural agency The Community, is part of a broader campaign featuring "Silicon Valley" star and comedian Thomas Middleditch. It depicts a couple eating at a restaurant who are upset about a lack of mobile coverage, with Middleditch unable to help because of the language barrier. A new spokesperson portrayed by Hispanic actor Luis Gerado Mendez steps in to explain Verizon's selling points in Spanish while Middleditch — and non-Spanish speaking viewers — are left out of the conversation.
- Verizon's idea for the ad stemmed from the brand wanting to better connect with its bi-cultural audience, CMO Diego Scotti told MediaPosts' Marketing Daily. Scotti said the company plans to air the ad and similar spots in more general-market programming, though Verizon is being selective in how it extends the campaign.
Dive Insight:
Verizon's spot is indicative of a broader trend toward more diversity in advertising as the demographic makeup of the U.S. continues to shift. While Spanish-language marketing has grown in prevalence in recent years as part of this change, a big-name brand like Verizon promoting a nearly all-Spanish spot around the MTV VMAs marks a significant moment for an industry that's often fallen behind in terms of equal representation.
In airing the ad around the VMAs, the telecom giant is clearly looking to connect with MTV's target audience — namely young and increasingly socially-conscious consumers. MTV has, in recent years, made social change and a message of progressivism a key part of its brand, meaning that the Verizon ad was likely to be well received. Verizon only selectively expanding the effort, however, points to the fine line brands must walk in putting a greater emphasis on diversity, which has the chance to earn the ire of consumers who lean conservative in their political views.
Verizon isn't alone in attempting to court more Spanish-speaking consumers. The auto industry, in particular, has been actively targeting the Hispanic market with recent efforts, including through a campaign from Mazda that, oddly enough, focused on the brand's Japanese roots.