Toyota spot

Great Spot for Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive. The first spot of this kind that I see that don't talk about the environment.

Fernando Poblete

TAKE A LOOK AT THIS!

Fernando Poblete

Why Should That Trash Can Be The Only One To Have It All?

We recently did a campaign for CA Lottery that gained a lot of buzz online. If you live in CA you most likely seen this spot on TV:



While the spot was airing on TV we learned that we captured our audience's attention with an attractive tune, "I Got It All" by Golden. To our surprise viewers of the TV spot were going online to find the artist and full version of the song.

The spot transformed an ordinay object such as a trashcan into an extradorinary winner! This is one trashcan that gots it all. I mean look at him; he's in a limo, at the Lakers game, taking off a couple pounds, and enjoying a classy dinner with beautiful ladies. The spot highlights the idea that with replay, scratchers give you a second chance to win so don't throw it away or else the trashcan will have it all.

Online, people were spreading buzz about the spot and song on platforms like YouTube, Blogger, Ask, and Yahoo Answers. Here's a snippet of comments you can find on YouTube:

Fan #1: "yo when will you post up this dope track cant wait."
Fan #2: "Ahh! i need this song soo much. :D its soo freakin addictiing. i wish it was a real song. cus it makes me feel so awesome :)"
Fan #3: "song is hot, make a full version California lottery!!! "
Fan #4: "this song is sick!!!!"
Fan #5: "this is my favorite commercial of all time"

I think you get the picture. The CA Lottery has listened and now the song is out and avaialble for free!

Download the full version of "I Got It All" and ringtone here: http://replay.calottery.com/musicdownload/default.aspx

Lesson Learned: When people talk about your brand or campaign listen and give them what they want.

Monica Camacho, Strategic Planner

If you didn’t catch the Latin Grammy’s last week you missed a great show! The 10th Annual Latin Grammy’s was broadcasted live from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on the Univision Network on Thursday, November 5, 2009, at 8:00 p.m. Co-hosted by the internationally acclaimed actress/singer Lucero and renowned actor and comedian Eugenio Derbez, this years Latin Grammy’s were the best to date!

Some of the performers were Alejandro Sanz featuring Alicia Keys, Luis Fonsi, and Calle 13 featuring Ruben Blades and Oscar de Leon & Gilberto Santa Rosa.

This year’s had a record of 12.8 million viewers that watched some or all of the show, according to Nielsen. The highest ever for any “Latin Grammy” telecast on the Univision Network it also delivered an average audience of 6.0 million total viewers. The demographics provided by Nielsen were:

I have to say that these results are astonishing. Nielsen also reported that the show made Univision the #2 broadcast Network among Adults 18-34 (2,010,000) and Persons 12-34 (2,330,000), beating CBS, NBC, FOX and CW for the entire night.

If that’s not viewership power I don’t know what it is! I can’t wait to see the results in January for the Grammy’s. What did you think about the Latin Grammy’s?

Ctrl.Alt.Shift Film Competition Winner: No Way Through

Really cool short film, enjoy.

Ctrl.Alt.Shift Film Competition Winner: No Way Through from Ctrl.Alt.Shift on Vimeo.

Fernando Poblete

END CREDITS

Since a short period of time, End Credits on movies have been considered as a potential space for creativity too, inviting people to stay for 5 more minutes before leaving the screening room to enjoy the formerly most boring part of the films. Pixar Studios movies are a good example of that. They are not only starting the movies with a great short film but also they are finishing them with clever jokes when the end credits come up.

The movie Coraline, placed a "secret word" at the very end of the credits, allowing real fans to participate on the sweepstakes that they had online.

Now, click here to take a look of a cool music video, witch is nicely playing with credits as well.

Rodrigo Lino, Creative Director.

When brands do more than just trying to sell.

I want to share with you guys this sample of a campaign sponsored by VW in Sweden.

enjoy!

This site is dedicated to the thought that something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behaviour for the better. Be it for yourself, for the environment, or for something entirely different, the only thing that matters is that it’s change for the better.

Alex Rodriguez • Art Director

"The First Latina Leadership Summit"

On September 17th the very first “Latina Leadership Summit” was hosted during the “United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s” 30th Annual National Convention. The convention took place at the Colorado Convention Center and this year's event also featured U.S. Treasurer Rosie Rios, U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO), Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, U.S. Representative John Salazar (D-CO), and Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper. The event drew more than 2,500 participants -- high-level representatives from Corporate America, including Fortune 500 companies, and Hispanic entrepreneurs and Chamber leaders from across the United States and beyond.

This is another great example of what President Obama and his administration are doing for Hispanics in America. There were four top-level Obama Administration representatives in attendance, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan, Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Lisa P. Jackson and the White House Director of Urban Affairs Adolfo Carrion.

The Latina Summit was launched to provide current and aspiring Latina entrepreneurs with access to the tools, resources and information they need to establish new ventures and to continue growing and flourishing. A vital aspect of the Summit was the dynamic opportunity to meet one-on-one with procurement officers to secure contracts with Fortune 500, regional and national companies, and numerous federal agencies. Founder of the Latina Summit, Elizabeth Vasquez Gallagher, USHCC vice chair and chair of Latina Services, co-chaired the Latina Summit with Linda Alvarado, first lady of development in Colorado. Alvarado is also the first Hispanic woman to own a baseball team. From 2009 forward, every major USHCC event will feature a Latina component. This is another reason for us to stop and observe this historical moment and to finally realize that Latina’s are a key ingredient within this Nation.

Elizabeth Vasquez Gallagher (far right)

Linda Alvarado

I wanted to share a few facts so that you can see how much of an impact Latina Entrepreneurs have to this countries economy. 10.6 million Firms are at least 50% owned by a woman or women. --Center for Women's Business Research, 2005. Women-owned businesses will spend an estimated $546 billion annually on salaries and benefits ($492 billion on salaries and $54 billion for employee benefits--heath, retirement, and insurance). Health benefits comprise the largest share of benefit expenditures, with 2004 spending estimated at $38 billion. --Center for Women's Business Research, 2005

Did You Know?

A surge of new technologies and social media innovations are altering the media landscape.

Did You Know?

Americans have access to:
1,000,000,000 web pages
65,000 iPhone apps
10,500 radio stations
5,500 magazines
200+ cable TV networks

95% of all songs downloaded last year weren't paid for.

Wikipedia launched in 2001. It now features over 13 million articles in more than 200 languages.

How many texts do you think the average American teen sends a month? Watch the video below to find this and more out!

"Hotel owner tells Hispanic workers to change names"

This week I’d planned to write about another influential Hispanic figure, but I couldn’t let this opportunity pass by to share with you a story that wasn’t only disturbing but really motivating to me at the same time. It motivates me to continue to do what I do best and that’s to encourage and motivate “MI GENTE” (my people). It’s funny because today my friend commented on my Facebook, “Is there anything else you do besides “Latino”. I was like, “NO”! I am Latina, and I support my Latinos. I have friends from all backgrounds and I will always try my best to support them in anything that they do. “Siempre y Cuando” (“Only If”) it’s a positive thing.

So besides my friend’s ignorant comment and I can say that because we’ve been friends for more than 11 years. The story I’d mentioned previously is a story By MELANIE DABOVICH, Associated Press Writer. The title reads, “Hotel owner tells Hispanic workers to change names.” Now when I read the headline, I thought to myself. “Are you serious”? I began to read the story and when I read, “He forbade the Hispanic workers at the run-down, Southwestern adobe-style hotel from speaking Spanish in his presence (he thought they'd be talking about him), and ordered some to Anglicize their names.” I thought to myself, can this really still be happening after 23 years of being in this country and having an African American President and a Hispanic woman as our head of Supreme Court?


I grew up in a predominantly “Anglo” community from the age of 8 to 18 years old and I’m the only one from my immediate family, (Father, Mother and Sister) to have a non-traditional Hispanic name. They are Francisco Alfonso, Ruth Gloria and Paola Carolina. As I type that out it’s very humorous to me because out of all three of them I’m probably the only one troubled by this story of Larry Whitten, Taos, NM Hotel Owner. He of course denied the allegations and stated that, "It has nothing to do with racism. I'm not doing it for any reason other than for the satisfaction of my guests, because people calling from all over America don't know the Spanish accents or the Spanish culture or Spanish anything." Now can I please ask you to re-read, “don’t know the Spanish accents or the Spanish culture or Spanish anything?” I mean is this guy for real? I have to laugh and it’s out of a mix of disappointment and anger for the people that had to endure this form of racism. Please take the time to view the link http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_trouble_in_taos and let me know what you think! What if this was you? I will end this post with another quote from this story, “No more Martin (Mahr-TEEN). It was plain-old Martin. No more Marcos. Now it would be Mark.” As some would say, “El tipo esta loco”!

"In Performance at the White House: Fiesta Latina"

This past weekend I watched the “Latina Fiesta at the White House”. In case you didn't have the chance to watch it you missed a beautifully orchestrated concert. President Barack Obama opened up the celebration with a very enlightening and enthusiastic speech. He commended our culture and acknowledged the importance and value that the ‘Latino Race’ contributes to the United States. He wrapped up his introduction with a quote from Gloria Estefan that I will use in the future, “The most beautiful things in this country are that it has flavor of other countries.”

The program was created to celebrate Hispanic musical heritage and it included performances by Marc Anthony, Jimmy Smits, Gloria Estefan, Jose Feliciano, George Lopez, Thalia, Tito "El Bambino", the Bachata music group Aventura, and the Chicano rock band Los Lobos, with Sheila E. as the musical director. As I watched the show tears began to come down. I was overwhelmed with a sense of bitter sweet feeling of both “proud of where we have reached” and “yearning, to be there one day”.
The performances were great! My favorite has to be Gloria Estefan’s performance. She has such class and sings like a bird. I do feel that we could have “represented” more as I am a huge fan of “Salsa”. There wasn’t any “Guaguanco” and that is a true representation of where we come from. I loved the balance of music genres that they had, Bachata, Reggaeton, Salsa and Pop with Ballads were truly a nice mix of passion and “Felicidad”.

If you would like to see the show you can visit, pbs.org. Or visit this URL: http://video.pbs.org/video/1296778877/program/1073769600#

As I watched, it was a feeling of, “I can do anything I want”. Each and everyone one of the people in attendance at the Latina Fiesta is an influential person in today’s society and for that I will continue to strive for my dreams! I hope you will too.

"An Inspiring Woman"

Hello there “Boarder followers”. I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to write last week but this week I have a special treat for you. If you haven’t gotten a feel for my topics, or if this is your first time reading my blog post. You will see that I focus on “Influential Hispanics” in today’s society. If you’re like me in the sense that you are tired of being stereotyped and feel the need to always “represent” Latinos in a positive light. Well then this is the post you must read!

Today’s post is about Mrs. Gina Rodriguez. A very successful Dominican woman who immigrated to the United States in the 1980’s in search for the “American Dream”. Now for many of us the American Dream can mean many different things. But for this woman it meant to actually go to College and learn the native language. She studied in Berk Business School and took ESL classes at NYU. She was determined from the start to take advantage of all of the opportunities this country offered her. Upon graduating Gina began working within an import/export handbag company, Hyuk Trading Company. After working with them for 10 years she had two children and was able to juggle Motherhood and her career.

Just a few years after taking on that new role, her husband was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma Cancer. During Mr. Rodriguez’s fight with Cancer, Gina had to support the family forcing her to work multiple jobs in order to support the family. This is when she discovered her niche. The niche of sales within Mary Kay Cosmetics in 1991, in just a seven months Gina was driving the popular “Pink Cadillac” and has to this date a total of 6 company cars under her belt.

Gina has since received numerous awards and recognitions. In October 2007, “Dominican’s Women’s Development Center” recognized her with an “Outstanding Business Leadership Award” for her hard work and dedication in helping women to succeed within Business Industries. In August of 2008, she received the “Miss Go Give Award”, which recognizes “Independent Sales Directors” who exemplify characteristics of the “Gold Rule” and help guide and motivate Consultants who are not from their group. Today Gina’s team consists of 40 Hispanic Directors, who are currently earning annual incomes from 50K-85K and they are spread out through out New York, Massachusetts, Indiana, North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, Connecticut and Florida. In December of 2008, Gina achieved her dream and became a National Sales Director. The highest achievable position within Mary Kay, within this position Gina has the capabilities of operating her business in 39 different countries.

I recently had the pleasure of riding in the Pink Escalade and I have to say it is “Pretty Nice”. The Cadillac and the Awards are just added perks to Gina’s true motivation. Her driving force is her children and that to me is truly a great example of not only a “successful Latina” but a Latina Mother.

Thank you Gina for continuing to break those barriers for all women and for all Latinos.

What do you want to know?

It seems like every time I blink the world speeds up. OK I'm being a little dramatic, but what I'm referring to is the digital era surrounding us. Not only is the technology advancing rapidly but the way we receive is coming in in light speed. For instance, lets talk about blogs. Bloggers and blogging is set and ready for any question being thought of.
What do you need to know?
I say we start with something we can all relate to wondering about at one time in our lives: Where is the best place to get Japanese nail art?
Well, there's a blog for that. http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=japanese+nail+art&find_loc=orange+County%2C+CA&ns=1
Or, are you looking for some good old fashion retail therapy?
Yep, there's a blog for that. http://www.latina.com/blogs/retail-therapy
Or how about if you need constant social media updates?
Yes, there's a blog for that. http://mashable.com/

Perhaps the number one place at the moment to dig through some constantly updated blogs is this magical place called Twitter. A truly work of genius held up by...
non other than... us.
It's social media at a max.
A social media tool that is only unravelling as we speak. Our creativity and words are it's empire.
Just think, you can have Oprah as a neighbor. And yes, the REAL Oprah.
The form in which we are all being connected is just at a keyboards' touch.

A nice plan of connection I recently read up on was from Jet Blue. In an effort to reach bi coastal travelers in promotion of the newly opened terminal in LAX (LA Airport), they invited interactive social media guests on a first flight out and had them blog and record videos about their experience. This unconventional form of advertising led them to have over 250,000 video playbacks and 400+ positive Twitter posts. Nice spotlight.
Now, what would be considered a non-traditional form of advertising not too far back is transforming into a communication top priority. Us (the consumers) will praise or demise what you're selling us. Yep, good or bad, word will get around.

Why October Eleventh?

I was elated to read an email from my mom this morning. I have been quite fortunate of my mothers' attitude towards learning and interacting within cyberspace. She was an early adopter of online bill pay. Then she decided to go green and requested for paperless online bank statements. Now and again when I get melancholy, I send an invitation to video chat and vice versa. Therefore, when I received this email it was for lack of a better word "cool."

Son,

Since your birthday is coming up and you are always insisting I use the computer more often to get acquainted. I decided to write you an email reflecting on your birthday. I was pregnant with your brother Daniel and everyone was hoping that I had a girl. As for me as long as my baby was born healthy it didn't matter. Daniel was born, would you believe with his thumb in his mouth. I didn't get to see him with his thumb in his mouth, I just took their word for it. But, why would they lie, right? They said I must have starved him, because I didn't gain much wait. Then, I was pregnant with you. I got to pick your birthday, because I was going to have a c-section. I picked my wedding anniversary. Months went by and I got bigger and heavier. It's like you were always hungry. Your Dad said I was just making up excuses because I was feeling guilty about not eating a lot when I was pregnant with Daniel. Towards my eighth month, I actually had to put a baby's blanket around my neck to carry my huge belly, because it became difficult to walk. But, I still kept on eating. I continued to eat until I reached 200 lbs. My actual weight when I got pregnant with you was 128 lbs. Someone has a picture of me somewhere with my pregnancy. On my ninth month appointment with the doctor. He said that I could not have you on my anniversary because you were ready to come out, it would be dangerous for me and you, to leave you in there that long. Therefore, the doctor said for me to think about earlier date and he would be right back. I sat alone in the room thinking about it. The Lord chooses our birthday for reasons. Vicente was born on the same as my birthday, but, a different month. Daniel was born on the same day of my anniversary but a different month. So, I thought about and said why not pick the same day as your Dad. The doctor came back and asked me if I decided. I said yes on the same day of my Husband's birthday. Which would you believe that day was on a Saturday. He didn't do weekends unless they were the utmost emergencies. He said Friday would be fine. AND I SAID NO, YOU OWE ME THAT MUCH. So, you were going to be born on the same as your Dad different month but same day. And on that day, you were born and guess what, that's right, with your thumb in your mouth too. I was not allowed to eat on my surgery day. Would you believe I was hungry and so were YOU.

God Bless You

Love You

Mom

A Different Kind of Project

As soon as I heard it was only $10 for any seat at the Performing Arts Center I was sold. Did I know anything about the Trey McIntyre Project? Nope, but I soon goggled it to find that it was a dance company owned and directed by Trey McIntyre - a top choreographer. The project was said to be a style all his own: a mix of technical ballet with a modern twist; a vision sought out by McIntyre. It wasn't like anything I had ever seen before. I mean, the dance technique I've studied and can recognize, but the music and rhythm mixed with sudden, even sporadic, modern movements made the experience tantalizing. The only thing that was expected was the next unexpected. The audience seemed to be intrigued the whole way, and to my surprise it was a full house. Then again all the seats were $10, in which I think was brilliant because it just opened the performance to that much more of a diverse audience. There were teenagers, families, couples of all ages, and a real diversity in ethnicities. Who cannot afford a $10 seat at one of the best performing arts centers? For those who truly enjoy dance performances this was a real treat.

Mid intermission brought in interactive media: "text your email address to xxxx for a chance to win a TMP T-shirt." As soon as that screen popped up, BAM! - Everyone snapped their mobile device and started typing away. It was a perfect opportunity to gather a database for future use and a great way to keep the audience attentive. The most unique and out-of-the box performance was the very last performance that had them literally in a box.

Here's how it went:

The performers are all on stage bowing to the audiences' clapping then McIntyre, the choreographer, also jumps onstage to receive his applause. The thought is that this is the final act, until Trey leaves the stage, goes out through an audience entrance and what we see next on stage is a screen. The screen turns on and it's McIntyre. He's standing outside in the lobby. We're watching a video of him being recorded and it follows him all the way outside. Meanwhile, the stage lights up for the dancers one more time and as they're dancing one by one they start leaving the stage heading out the way McIntyre first did and before we knew it they show up on screen, meaning they made their way to the outside of the Center.

The performance isn't over.

We're all called to meet them outside. Once outside we hear music booming from a DJ and see each dancer is in a box (think box office style) with no walls, just a frame (think picture frame) hanging in front of them. On top of each box is a screen that is reeling pictures and words (little known facts) of each dancer. The audience is set to be invisible to each dancer and they are each pretending to be in their dressing room/bathroom by themselves. The frame in front of them is their mirror- in which is see-through so they are really seeing all the audience. You can only imagine the craziness that happens from here. The fun part is realizing that the dancers know and see you're there, but have to stay in character imagining that they are alone staring at themselves in a mirror. [I still chuckle as I write this] While walking around each performer’s box, I notice a lady went up to a performers' frame and stared him straight in the eye. Not long after she started to mimic what the performer was doing- picking their teeth at the mirror, drinking, dancing and singing in front of it. It almost broke him.
This performance was truly one of the most creative performances I've seen; a 10 dollar seat was just the cherry on top.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW5eYrsVXio&feature=player_embedded

SOAP (STOP OVER-USING ACRONYMS PLEASE)

I go into this meeting. It’s work. It’s marketing.

It’s in California.

I’m pretty sure everybody’s speaking English and I’m not new to the business… but I don’t understand a thing.

I try harder. I pay more attention. Maybe I’m distracted.

When it seems I start grasping the meaning of the conversation again someone—maybe the CEO, the CFO, the COO or the IT, throws in a Cee-pee-Cee, U-Cee-Em, X-Y-Z… I’m lost again.

Americans are in love with Acronyms. We use them and abuse them with no mercy. Much more than any other people in this planet. Why?

I am no sociologist or linguist but my guts tell me it’s because of our very American, very practical nature. (VAVPN)

Acronyms, are used to abbreviate names of organizations and long or frequently referenced terms. Ok. That’s great. I understand there are some widely accepted acronyms that have become more words than acronyms; we all know of the CEO, it has come to represent the highest position in a company. Cool. But then came all the rest, we all want a titles we can initialize, the ECD, the CFO, the CD, the AD and the AE, the AS, and the IT…

By the way, I think the ECD has OCD or at least some form of ADD or ADHD because he has no patience to learn all this acronyms. Even syndromes and sickness have been granted their lengthy acronyms. And that’s another reason for Americans being acronym-crazy: We want to categorize and neatly divide everything. Where this all mania started?

Acronyms have been around since at least 1,500 years (the Hebrew word for the old testament (Tanakh) is an acronym) But Nobody knows for sure when we Americans fell in love with them (at least in my very superficial two-day research). What we know for sure is that they flourished during the great depression with the “alphabet agencies” created during the administration of president Roosevelt (FDR, of course).

There are some acronyms that don’t bother me. I even consider them funny. But those are mainly acronyms created to make fun of acronyms, or at least with enough irony to be acronym parodies. And those tend to come mainly from the military, like “FUBAR” (Fucked up beyond all recognition).

Some of these acronyms have made it into words and are sometimes used innocently without knowing the initial meaning behind them, like SNAFU. (As in a something went wrong, a mistake). SNAFU comes from the military also and it’s an acronym for “Situation normal, all fucked up”.

Interestingly, those two previous examples contain the mother, or father, or all acronyms. At least the most used, by far, in the English language. F-U-C-K.

The origin of that one is a mystery. There are as many theories as there are uses for the word (“For Unlawful Carnal knowledge”, “Fornication Under Carnal Knowledge”, “Fornication Under the King Consent” and many, many more attempts to decipher that one).

I don’t like most acronyms, I don’t share that need to initialize and categorize things. I hate them. I even considered joining an organization against acronyms (the Americans Association Against Acronyms)… but I decided not to when I discovered they called themselves the AAAA.

Historia entre nuestras dedos

Many years ago I vividly recall my late Great-grandfather asking my mother to come to a sudden halt in our 1988 Mazda navy blue pickup-truck. When she asked why, he impetuously replied in Spanish “we just passed five aluminum cans laying on the side of the road.” Just the other day, I learned that my roommate Bhishma who is of Irish decent is analogous to my Great-grandfather. If he finds a penny on the floor he will pick it up. Culture and heritage passed down by our ancestors shape the patterns of our ideals and achievements. Furthermore, our family, friends, colleagues and mentors play a significant role in our day to day lives. My father told me a story of an owl who sat in a oak tree. The more the owl saw the less he spoke; the less he spoke the more he heard. It seems when I listen, the more I am capable of understanding rather than waiting to speak. Particularly, when surrounded by seasoned individuals. There is much to learn and contribute in providing an illustration of how fruitful and fulfilling life can be. A joy belonging to everyone by calibrating in this play called life. Live well, laugh often and love much.

KIKI Cheat Sheet

Impetuously: acting or done quickly without thought or care.

Analogous: comparable in certain respects.

Give Back to Your Fans

Last week I was surfing the web for tickets to sing along with Jason Mraz at the Hollywood Bowl, unfortunately for me they were sold out. I was so upset and nearly cried. Okay, maybe I'm overacting but I hoped Craigslist would be my ticket savior. I didn't care if all I found was one ticket and had to go alone. To my disappointment tickets were going for $85 to $500, yes $500 (they went on sale for $22). I think there's something wrong with people who rip off die-hard fans such as myself but, that's a whole other blog. I decided to search the internet for a more reasonable deal. Luckily, I came across a blog that mentioned Jason's Mraz's announcement to perform a free show in his hometown, San Diego, on October 11th. I thought no way, a free show-there has to be a catch. I went on Jason Mraz's website and there it was, right in front of me, that very special word that we all love so much, "FREE."



As my blood rushed to my head and I nearly fell out of my chair, I quickly read through the announcement. Reserved seats would be $1, lawn seats (all 10,000 of them) would be free, VIP tickets would start at $75, and 30 orchestra tickets with a meet and greet would be auctioned off on Sept 26th at 10am. All auction proceeds will go towards The Surfrider Foundation. The concert is dedicated to helping other charities such as VH1 Save the Music and San Diego Youth Services. This is a very generous act from Jason Mraz who already performed in San Diego on his tour and was suppose to close the night before in Los Angeles.

But, what does this really say about Jason Mraz? For one, he values his loyal fans especially the one's who helped him start his career, he acknowledges his fans and expresses this by giving back to them, and he wants to create and maintain positive relationships with fans. He also believes in causes and by sharing this with fans he develops an emotional connection, making them even more loyal. Jason Mraz not only supports the eco-system but encourages eco-friendly actions by offering incentives. In addition to offering a free show that benefits charities, parking will also be free for fans who carpool with 3 or more.

Indeed, I did get tickets for Jason Mraz's San Diego show and yes they were free! I couldn't be happier to see him live in my hometown. As Jason Mraz would say , "I'm Yours," he won me over with this and I will forever be a grateful and loyal fan!


I highly recommend playing on Jason Mraz's website if you haven't already: http://www.jasonmraz.com/#

The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s oceans.

VH1 Save the Music is a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring instrumental music education in American public schools

San Diego Youth Services is an organization that has worked to stabilize the lives of over 500,000 homeless, runaway, and abused and at-risk youth in the San Diego area.

Monica Camacho, Jr. Strategic Planner

"Paz sin Fronteras"

Those who know me personally probably “figured” that I would write about this concert that I haven’t had the pleasure of watching but felt it was worth blogging about. I’m not sure if you have many Colombian friends but if you do you will know where I am coming from as you read my piece on Juane’s concert, “Concert for Peace” that took place in Cuba. According to several news papers during the planning process of this concert he had been threatened to be murdered if he went through with the concert. When I heard this I was astonished as to why our society continues to fear “GOOD”. Growing up in this country I have been exposed to many things that I was never taught in Colombia. Like my own home, which in some textbooks within my “Child Development” classes say, “The home is the #1 School”. With that said I learned at the age of 8 while living in Florida what ‘racism’ was. I wasn’t accepted in a predominantly “Anglo” community because I didn’t speak English and I wasn’t accepted in my Hispanic community because I wasn’t “Latina” enough. But when I would come home I would feel the most accepted.

I tried to fit in and so I wouldn’t speak Spanish and just focus on speaking English so that my peers would accept me. I would go home and my mother would say, “Sorry you are Colombian and you will speak Spanish in this house”. I can say that I thank her for that. In my home love is something that is very important. We were taught that we were a “Team”. What affects one affects us all. Music was a huge part of our lives as well. I remember watching Juanes in concert at the age of 12 in Medellin. He had about 1.5 million attendees and he was singing for “Peace”. He was tired of seeing people in our country fear for their lives when all they wanted to do is to live their lives. As I read about his plan to do a concert in Cuba, I thought to myself, “Wow, this man stops at nothing to spread Peace”. I was honored to be from his country and represent that in our people. Stereotypes are such a negative way of classifying people that it can in turn into a bigger problem. I believe that this is what has happened in Cuba.

I recently read that, almost 10 percent of Cuba's population showed up and about 30 percent of Cuba’s youth was present at his concert on September 20th. I felt these percentages to be astonishing and very proud of Juane's mission to spread “Peace”. I will leave you with this quote from Carlos Saladrigas, a reporter from http://www.cubastudygroup.org/. “The massive attendance highlighted the large and growing disconnect between the exiled hardliners and the Cuban people. More Cuban Americans have come to the realization that we cannot afford to continue with failed policies to meet the challenges of the future. We need to engage. It is not reasonable to expect to partake in a new Cuba if we don't partake in the process that creates it.” What do you think??

Post Graduation; Intro Into an Entry Level Life

I came along with an intention to focus my efforts into a passion. Now after college I have seen my fermented seeds proliferate into a life. It began on Ventura Boulevard in a fallacious one bedroom apartment. Fortuitously, my brother Daniel and I had all of the equipment needed to create. Only what time would paragon, our expression, ourselves through film. Our goal was to submit our 15 minute short film into; Top 25 ranked Film Festivals around the United States. We submitted 10 out of the 25 at $50 dollars a submission. That was a $500 dollar investment. Didn’t matter, we’re raised by life a tacit. Daniel’s Short Film entitled; A Reason To Live was recognized twice amongst our 10 submissions. A capacity crowd of fifty independent film directors and critics viewed our production. At the very moment when my brother and I were answering Q&A from the audience. I felt a drizzle of equanimity over my soul. I encountered my purpose. Since that experience, I have continued to live in pursuit of my dream. There will be an answer. Let it be.


A Reason to Live; http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=40822965

What Do Your Facial Expressions Say?

Are you aware of your facial expressions? Do you wonder what your facial expressions communicate? Through a recent conversation, I became aware that my facial expressions weren't necessarily expressing what I thought and felt. I was actually surprised when my co-worker said to me "Sometimes it's hard to read you," and I asked "What do you mean?" She said "Why did you make that facial expression." "What facial expression?" I asked confused. She said "You made a smirk." I gave her a perplexed look and then she said "Well, not a smirk, it's more like a grin, why did you make a grin when I mentioned the article?" I had to think about it for second. We were discussing an article about social media. She mentioned that the article was about Hispanics and their traditional uses with the internet prior to social media compared to their interactions online after the social media boom. Why did I grin? Well, I'm a collective listener. I listen, collect information, and then react. So, as she was talking I found what she was saying prevailing. My way of communicating this was to make a smirk, wait, I mean a grin without interrupting her. However, obviously my facial expression was an interruption because it communicated that I was amused or was laughing at her comment which is the meaning of a grin (without further interpretation beyond it's definition).

Amusement or laughter was far from what I was trying to communicate. In my mind I was thinking that's interesting, let me listen to the rest of what she has to say, then I'll ask questions and make comments. This topic made me aware of my facial expressions and what they may communicate. I decided to do take a quick dive into facial expressions and discovered there are many ways to express emotions using our face and simple gestures such as raising an eyebrow can have a strong communication message depending on the context of the conversation. Some expressions I came across were: so funny, bliss, not sure I believe you, so shy, I'm ashamed-so sorry, pain, and then I came across the expression I was thinking but didn't convey-"that's interesting" According to Aquiziam.com the expression of that's interesting is expressed by " The "quizzical" facial expression of a person who is paying close but cautious attention to what is said or displayed. The face is relatively neutral although there is a hint of a frown that tends, in this case, to suggest concentration rather than disapproval. The eyes are open and fixed on the subject and the lips are relaxed. This is the intelligent expression that a lecturer would like to see on the faces of the students in the hall. If the person depicted had a hint of a smile or nodded their head from time-to-time, this would indicate approval of the communication."

Maybe my facial expression wasn't that off. It does say a hint of a frown or smile indicates interest. Since I was only expressing the facial expression I cannot comment on my grin since I could not see it. However, this will make me think more before raising an eyebrow, smiling, squinting my eyes, making the wrinkles on my forehead visible, etc.

Facial expressions can communicate strong messages as seen below from President Obama

Click here to watch a very amusing video from Late Night with Jimmy Fallon highlighting Obama's many facial expressions and comically what they mean: http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/blogs/2009/07/obama-facial-expressions/

As a lesson learned or remembered we should all be aware of our facial expressions as they have the power to communicate emotions, thoughts, understanding, agreement/disagreement, and opinions.

Monica Camacho, Junior Strategic Planner

Graffiti Advertising

Graffiti in the last few decades has grown wildly popular and become widely regarded as an art form, a shift from the past and a stigma of vandalism. In the last few decades graffiti has also went from the underground work of passionate artists, to an awareness and engagement tool to deliver brand messages by advertising agencies.

Graffiti arguably started as far back in history as our ancestors the cavemen or ancient Egypt and Rome, but for the purpose of this post let’s start with the origins of modern graffiti which started in the Northeast (Philadelphia and New York) in the 1970’s by guys named Cornbread, Vic 156 and Taki 183 with the intent of getting a “rep” (reputation), a street code word for raising your brand awareness. So it makes perfect sense that it has grown in popularity with advertisers who are always looking for creative ways to connect with consumers.

Some companies that specialize in creating graffiti advertising include Alt Terrain and Tats Cru Inc.; Tats Cru is a Bronx based company of professional graffiti artists who started out as teenagers creating subway graffiti.

Graffiti remains a mostly outdoor medium that has extended brand benefits like making a brand cool, edgy and urban, and for that reason marketers from all categories are using graffiti as part of their integrated marketing plans around the globe.

Latinos on the Map of the US Open

To all of my blog fans, sorry I missed last week. But if you know me personally you know that I wear a lot of hats. On a good note, I am following up with a great and very influential sports figure. Juan Martin Del Potro. He outlasted Roger Federer last night during the Men’s Finals during the US Open in New York City.



I was lucky enough to catch this great match because I had to take my car to the mechanic and they happen to have very beautiful 57'. plasma in the waiting area. The shop staff was pretty down and out when I arrived but I was able to “liven” it up with my cheering and yelling for Del Potro’s win. For those "Non Tennis" fans, you need to WATCH! This sport is very entertaining as you see the player’s passion that their faces reflect as they hit the ball across the court going at an average speed of 100mph.


So back to Del Potro because I’m not a sportscaster! He won his very first professional match, at the age of 15. He began playing tennis at the age of 7 with coach, Marcelo Gomez. He was then discovered by Italian ex-tennis professional Ugo Colombin, who accompanied him through the initial phases of his young career, and is still today his agent and close friend.

The match went to a 5th set and in Tennis that isn’t common. He won 2 sets, Federer the other 2 and was forced to go to a 5th. As soon as Del Potro made the breakpoint he couldn’t believe it. He dropped to the ground after cheering his win. Once he got up after realizing he won, he walked up to the bleachers and kissed and hugged his family, a perfect illustration of true love. By his win, Del Potro is the second only other Argentine to have won this title. Guillermo Vilas won this title 32 years ago.

After getting kicked out of the auto-shop while watching the game for 2 hours, I drove to a local lounge in Jackson Heights, Chivatazo. I had been there for the Brazil vs. Argentina soccer match where Argentina had lost. It was a great feeling to know that they won in the Us Open. I’m not Argentine but we all represent one race and that is Hispanics. Juan Martin Del Potro is another positive influence and represents us in a wonderful way.


Here is the link of his acceptance speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHsAX792PN0

Sprouting Ideas

Sometimes you just wish things could magically appear when you need them to. Sometimes you wish things were simple, quick, efficient. As simple as pressing a button- or in this day in age, with just a simple touch on a screen and what you need appears. The iPhone is the first thing that pops into our head. It assists and entertains us more than we could have ever imagined. Now how about if it were to bring our transportation to us and even start the car? It's not a far fetched idea and as I most recently read in September's issue of Fortune magazine, the "Best New Idea" has zoomed in.

Zipcar is a shared form of transportation. As they call it, it's the "Netflix for cars." The company has about 325,000 members relying on this shared form of transportation that is not only financially smart but Eco conscious. The average savings per month is about $600 for those that give up their car to join Zipcar and surveys in Europe are saying CO2 emissions are being cut by up to 50% per user. Granted this may be too far fetched for those that prefer owning their own car no matter what, but in a challenging changing world ideas like these are more welcoming than ever especially in an Eco-minded urban lifestyle setting.

So how does it work?

Fairly simple.

You go online or use the iPhone application to make a reservation and the car's computer system grabs your information. Once with the car you wave the Zipcard to open it or with the iPhone app unlock it and enable it to start. You must be mindful of the rules in using Zipcar though: do not return it with an empty tank, keep the car clean, and announce if you will need a time extension with the car. These plus plenty more maintain the cleanliness and curtious kindness for all the users. You pay hourly or daily depending on location, car and day of the week, plus gas and insurance are attached.

According to Zipcar's CEO, Scott Griffith, car sharing is entering the mass market with the demographic becoming older and more reflective of the national average. Of what began with a younger smaller demographic, it is now gaining so much momentum that a variety of businesses are looking into this form of sharing and evolvement. A basic idea based on early taught manners: sharing. This makes me think twice about jotting down those random ideas throughout the day, who knows when they can sprout to be the next big idea.

http://www.zipcar.com/

Planning baby geat the "smart” way

The phone rings and I hear a voice on the other end say: “Hi prima, guess what? I’m pregnant!! I’m so excited; I can’t wait to go shopping for baby clothes!”

It brought flash backs from my first pregnancy, how I wanted just the best for my baby; and to me, the best meant new items! I went out of my way to get the best baby gear I could afford and recall turning down offers of hand-me-downs by using lame excuses…. Now I’m startled at how much I’ve changed from one child to the next as I now I know what it takes financially to get new gear. Also, some baby items appear as “must-have” at the beginning, end up practically unused! I can think of several baby items that never even saw the light of day and I passed unopened to other expecting moms.

So, if you’re a mom in the making with baby on the way, or you are thinking about kids, be smart and optimize your budget.
Don’t use BabiesRUs gear check list to decide what you need, instead research with your friends who actually have kids, use real mom blogs for brand research (versus brand blogs). You might think you need a bouncer, swing and baby play station but after talking to those moms you might discover one of those items can do the trick. By all means accept those hand-me-downs. I would probably not recommend accepting a crib or an infant car seat as regulations and safety features change regularly; items such as diaper bags, clothes, booster or high chairs, swings, bath tubs, strollers, can definitely save you a lot of money. You will be tempted to get all new items but hold off as you will probably get a great deal of items from relatives excited about your soon to arrive baby. Be smart and retain your shopaholic impulse. Now I not only take hand-me-downs but also hand down to others as well.

My advice to my “prima” and to all of you is to buy a cute little outfit and get the immediate urge to buy it all out. Talk to your friends with kids about gear, check out blogs to build your baby needs list and wait until your baby shower happens as this is when you’ll really know what you truly need to purchase.

I Love New York!

I love New York City! I have lived in San Diego, Los Angeles, New York City, and currently Orange County but I love New York City the most!



San Diego is a gorgeous town with perfect weather, but I grew up in San Diego. So, I've gone to La Jolla, Balboa Park, Coronado, Del Mar and the Gaslamp hundreds of times. Not to mention the "World's Famous Zoo," and the "Home of Shamu"- I have all of the show's scripts memorized. Don't get me wrong, once you step outside of the tourist attractions culture is in the heart of San Diego. My friends and I decided we're tired of going to the same crowded, over-priced, non-entertaining spots. If you like boutiques, coffee shops, good food, dive bars, and art then I recommend checking out these areas in San Diego-North Park, South Park, Hillcrest, and Normal Heights.



Los Angeles is my favorite West Coast "material" city, but we can all agree traffic is annoying. I don't even know how many hours of my life I spent in traffic listening to the same songs over and over but one thing that LA knows how to do is shop. My favorite places to shop in LA are Abbot Kenny Blvd, Main St in Santa Monica, and the Promenade, oh you have to check out the Farmers Market. A drive down Sunset Blvd filled with expensive cars says "city of dreams." A hike to the the top of Griffith Park is breathtaking. Many young people move to LA every year in hopes of becoming a star and many settle because they find LA offers them something that they didn't have before like great food from China Town, an abundance of fabrics from The Fashion District, the opportunity to network in Hollywood. LA offers a little bit of everything for everyone.



Orange County is the perfect little city. Everything matches from the colors of buildings to dogs with matching outfits. It's absolutely stunning and beautiful but has very little culture.



I love New York City! In the city you meet people from all over the world. Next time you're in the city strike up a conversation with a NYer you might be surprised what you may have in common and you may actually learn something. I like New York because the people are smart. Time is precious and laying on the beach isn't an option. New York really goes by "play hard and work harder." A walk around the Met, reading on the subway, or a picnic in the park is a sense of relaxation. When you're in NY, stand stiil, slowly turn your body to a full 360 degrees, look around, everything is beautiful-the people walking, the high-rise buildings, the sun peaking in, the architecture, the history. Then close your eyes and listen to the conversations, the cabs, the wind. Smell the food, and depending on what time of year it is smell the rain, the flowers blooming, or the smell of autumn. I like New York because ideas are developed in basements, warehouses are turned into art galleries, concerts are played in theaters, advertising masters Times Square, and most of all, I believe the best in people comes out when we are forced to interact with each other on a continuous basis and experience so many backgrounds in doing so. It's almost like traveling the world in one central hub. I <3 NY is an iconic brand, people travel to NY everyday looking for this brand, an I <3 NY t-shirt gives them a piece of NY to take with them and besides who doesn't love NY?



Note: When I refer to culture I'm talking about what makes a particular city different from others, basically what is the cities culture as a whole and not necessarily independent cultures.

Monica Camacho, Strategic Planner