AHAA announces archive chronicling the Industry.

Pioneers in Hispanic advertising, marketing and broadcasting gathered to announce the formation of the AHAA Archive of Hispanic Marketing to preserve the industry’s past and provide a path to the future. The archive, sponsored by the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA), will be housed at the Library of American Broadcasting on the University of Maryland campus in College Park.

AHAA plans to capture oral and written histories and personal records of pioneers in Hispanic broadcasting, advertising and marketing. Intended as a place for scholars, writers, students and researchers, the archive also will feature industry studies and surveys, clippings and footage of ad campaigns, photographs, articles, and more. The first contribution to the archive’s collection was made by industry veteran Sara Sunshine, an esteemed marketer and one of the U.S. Hispanic advertising industry’s trail-blazing women.

Sunshine presented AHAA with a scrapbook featuring advertisements, newspaper clippings, and industry reports and research at a recent 10-year anniversary celebration for AHAA. Her collection, dating back to 1962, details her personal journey as well as industry highlights. She notes she was diligent in maintaining her records through several moves, always making sure to keep the most important materials.

“I am happy to pass my collection on to AHAA and the archive,” Sunshine said. “Before the establishment of the archive, I didn’t want to part with my memorabilia, but contributing to a lasting monument that will preserve our industry’s past and educate future generations is thrilling. The hard work of our early years should not be lost and I am proud to be part of
anything to keep our past alive.”

Among the highlights of Sunshine’s storied career was her work with television commercial icon Madge. Rather than simply dubbing English-language ads, she taught the Palmolive brand ambassador Spanish and contracted her Hispanic foil, entertainer Charytin. Additionally, Sunshine won Hispanic advertising’s first-ever CLIO award for her work with Pepsi.
“Preserving our history is critical as we chart our destiny,” said Carl Kravetz, chairman of AHAA and chairman/chief strategic officer of cruz/kravetz:IDEAS. “The AHAA Archive of Hispanic Marketing at the Library of American Broadcasting provides us with the opportunity to safeguard and sustain the legacy our industry founders worked so hard to begin.”

With the archive in an early stage, AHAA and the Library of Broadcasting are in the process of procuring and accepting content for the collection. They are actively seeking photographs, ads, articles, and other materials that will help to document the history of Hispanic advertising, marketing, and broadcasting. Those interested in making a donation to the
AHAA Archive of Hispanic Marketing should contact Horacio Gavilan, Executive Director of AHAA at hg******@ah**.org .

“The Library of American Broadcasting is pleased to include the AHAA Archive of Hispanic Marketing among our holdings, as this important audience continues to influence the entire broadcast industry,” said Donald West, chairman of the Library of Broadcasting.