Like no other Latin genre before it, reggaeton is a magnet for sponsors and brands looking to target a specific youth market. It is no wonder. The Puerto Rican-sourced rap style burst into public consciousness at about the same time that the U.S. Census reported that Latinos were the fastest-growing population in the United States and that young Latinos were the segment that was most rapidly expanding. And here was a musical style that appealed to young Latins of all origins.
But while reggaeton as a musical style is appealing and multiple brands have picked up specific songs for multiple uses, very few such acts have actually become the face of a brand or a campaign. "Marketers are still not fully aware of the reggaeton market, compared with acts like Juanes, Mana or Carlos Vives," says Henry Cardenas of Cardenas Marketing Network, an event and concert promotion firm. "They're still a little skeptical."
There are exceptions, of course, including Tego Calderon's participation in 2004 as one of the faces of Hennessy's "Never Blend In" campaign. The highly visible association included Calderon billboards in 10 major U.S. markets, ads in regional and national publications, radio spots and point-of-sale visibility. In another high-profile campaign, this past spring Burger King launched its "My Music, My Style" promotion with Puerto Rican reggaeton artist Voltio. The sponsorship included a promotional and performance tour with Voltio in several cities and also promoted the mobile download of a Voltio single.
Although Burger King has done promotions with Latin music artists before, this is the first time it teamed with a reggaeton act.
The most visible face of reggaeton sponsorship deals is Daddy Yankee, who has a clothing line with Reebok (DY), hosts a syndicated radio show on the ABC network sponsored by Ford Fusion, appears in a Pepsi campaign in Puerto Rico and has been supported on tour with sponsorship from the likes of American Airlines.
"The artist's image has to be consistent with the product's image," says Javier Figueroa, marketing manager for Pepsico International in Puerto Rico. "In Daddy Yankee's case, we were sure there wasn't going to be a problem."
Daddy Yankee is seen not only as an artist with credibility, but also as a squeaky-clean, family-oriented act. But that is not the case with many other artists who often have legal problems or personal scandals or both. This does not mean that particular brands do not seek urban Latin music in general and reggaeton in particular to promote their products.
In the concert arena, because reggaeton draws younger crowds, liquor companies are a hard sale, Aragon Entertainment president Ivan Fernandez says. But other types of brands, like mobile companies, are avid backers.
"Top 20 Latin-Urban Countdown," a weekly radio show on the Latino Broadcasting Company, has seen "phenomenal" ad sales growth, according to president/CEO Tony Hernandez. Strong categories in the space include automotive, retail, quick-service restaurants, spirits, beer, cell phone service providers and electronics.
"I believe this is a reflection of the overall strength of the Latin urban youth market and the growing interest on the part of major brands to capture a slice of this lucrative, fast-growing consumer market," Hernandez says.
However, he adds, while reggaeton initially drove the growth, advertisers now are reaching for a broader Latin urban consumer.
"It's really the young Latin/urban 'lifestyle' that's the driver today," Hernandez says.
But beyond the urban lifestyle, brands will take on songs as long as they are good and fit a particular product.
Daddy Yankee's "La Gasolina," for example, was used for multiple campaigns. His track "El Truco" is now being used in a JCPenney back-to-school TV spot.
Reggaeton served as the backdrop for Ford's recent "Drive It Like a Ford" TV campaign, and current hit "La Botella" by Mach & Daddy has been the music for Fruko ketchup in Colombia, for Cristal beer in Peru, Telcel in Mexico and Atlas beer in Panama.
However, when companies actually turn to an act, not just a song or style, to reach a specific market, they do so because they think they have something to gain from it beyond a catchy tune.
Pepsi, for example, studied Daddy Yankee's impact and popularity for several years, boosting its business relationship with him as his impact grew. "He was pretty popular in Puerto Rico, years before he exploded internationally," Figueroa says. Pepsi initially used
Daddy Yankee's music for a local campaign. Then, it sponsored a show at the Coliseum in San Juan, and after seeing audience reaction, hired him to be the face of a new Pepsi product.
"He truly understands his audience," Figueroa concludes.
Reuters/Billboard
Residente Calle 13 se ha expresado satisfecho de que con su música pueda atraer a un público "más alternativo".
El rapero Julio Voltio deberá cumplir seis meses de trabajo comunitario, pagar una multa de $5 mil, realizarse pruebas toxicológicas y pedir permiso con 48 horas de anticipación para salir fuera del país por compromisos artísticos.
