NEW YORK — The creative agency born from Williamsburg, Brooklyn-based VICE Media and the entertainment brand founded by Robert Rodriguez and supported with distribution from Univision have partnered up for an agency “partnering with brands seeking to connect with the rising U.S. Hispanic market.”
Virtue is partnering with El Rey to launch LA REYNA, bringing a new creative voice to a challenged segment of the U.S. advertising and branding arena.
LA REYNA’s creation is spurred by data over the last decade showing that births, rather than immigration, is driving U.S. Hispanic population growth. “This cultural shift has resulted in a surge of diverse tastes and interests, blurred lines of identity and a transcultural mindset among younger generations,” the companies note.
Rodriguez, a cult film director and founder of El Rey Network known for Machete and From Dusk Till Dawn, said, “Historically, the U.S. Hispanic population has been treated as one single entity. LA REYNA is an opportunity to abandon this ineffective approach and allow brands to connect authentically with this diverse audience. Virtue is an expert in developing culture platforms that speak to youth worldwide and in a moment where the market is demanding accountability, our strategic partnership is more than just an agency, it’s a game changer for the Latinx community.”
Virtue and El Rey claim that their combined expertise and resources “will enable LA REYNA to deliver strategic and creative services to brands, while leveraging the specialized teams – including analytics, production, and technology – of Virtue to round out a versatile agency offering.”
LA REYNA will be headquartered in Austin, home to established U.S. Hispanic agency LatinWorks.
But, LA REYNA Chief Growth Officer Theresa Vargas Wyatt says her team is “going beyond just starting an advertising agency.”
She notes, “We have cemented a cultural hub in Texas generating provocative thought leadership, creative services and content that accurately reflects the nuances of Latinx. Robert has spent 25 years redefining what it means to be a Latinx in entertainment, and the industry is just catching on. Now LA REYNA will redefine what it means to be a Latinx consumer.”
LA REYNA plans offer its brand partners:
- Brand strategy & creative campaigns focused on the Latinx audience
- Integrated production ranging from film to experiential
- Brand IP and sustained programming, leveraging the entertainment and publishing roots of LA REYNA.
- Cultural access, via LA REYNA’s network of Latinx creatives, influencers, and cultural figures
“Between El Rey’s film and entertainment roots and Virtue’s publisher pedigree, our respective expertise seamlessly compliments each other as we launch this hybrid organization – one part agency, one part production house,” said Virtue President Ryan Mack. “By combining our resources, capabilities, and insights, we hope to properly connect brands with this underserved, yet increasingly important, market.”
The key principals of LA REYNA include:
- Omar Quiñones – Managing Director/Chief Strategy Officer brings over 15-year experience in advertising joins from Anomaly where he was Group Strategy Director.
- Theresa Vargas Wyatt – Chief Growth Officer brings over 15 years of experience in business development specific to the Latinx consumer and joins from El Rey Network where she was Vice President Brand & Corporate Development.
- Josh Stein – Chief Operating Officer joins from El Rey Network where he was a key member of the corporate development team. He has also held senior positions at Dr. Phil McGraw’s Bird Street Books, and the Latin-targeted lifestyle channel MiCasa.
In its first brand partnership, LA REYNA has teamed up with AB-InBev’s Mexican beer brand, Estrella Jalisco.
Together, they will be hosting an immersive and creative experience in Austin on Friday (11/2).
“Night of the Stars,” will celebrate the heritage of the brand and Mexico, while toasting to a progressive and innovative future.
“The Latinx consumer has always been a focus of our brand, but they are quickly becoming a major priority for the entire beer industry, not only because of their growth in population, but more importantly, the influence they have on culture,” said Yonathan Bendesky, Senior Brand Director of Anheuser-Busch Mexican Imports and a 2017 Hispanic CMO Thought Leader. “LA REYNA is poised to tap into that cultural influence and help it grow. The combination of Robert, Virtue and all the capabilities they offer is going to help our brand stay on the cusp of what’s happening in culture and show up in places that are meaningful to this consumer. We’re looking forward to partnering with them on this upcoming project and beyond.”
LA REYNA has also begun partnering with global collaborative workspace network, WeWork, on brand programming that will roll out in 2019.
The agency will also be housed in WeWork’s downtown Austin location.
Virtue is a global, full-service creative agency with 26 offices across the globe. It develops brand platforms, programs and campaigns that are culturally-rooted and youth-focused for clients such as Asics, AB-InBev, Cazadores, Unilever, Google, lululemon, Marriott Loyalty Rewards, Netflix, and Vega.
José (Gonzo) Otero was national Hispanic brand manager and PD of WZTU. He was born in San Diego, and started his radio career in 1998 in Tijuana, on air and in the creative department. He joined Univision Radio in 2004 and later worked at MVS Radio and Grupo Uniradio. He came to iHeartMedia in 2009 and has served as an air personality, PD, digital brand coordinator, operations manager, and national Hispanic brand manager, as well as supervised and developed multiple brands in Chicago, Fresno, and most recently Miami.
