24 COMPANIES EARNED A SPOT ON HMC’S 2025 STRATEGIC EXCELLENCE AWARDS SHORT LIST

The Hispanic Marketing Council (HMC) announced the short list for the Strategic Excellence Awards, the only award competition of its kind recognizing strategic excellence in Hispanic marketing and advertising and cultural fluency.

Representing 44 trailblazing campaigns steeped in cultural insights, 24 companies will vie for Bronze, Silver and Gold, the results of which will be announced at the HMC 2025 Annual Summit in New York City on April 8. Jury Co-Presidents Ricardo Aspiazu, Senior Vice President, Creative & Brand Design, Verizon and Esperanza Teasdale, Former Vice President & General Manager, Hispanic Business Unit for PepsiCo Beverages North America will announce the Grand Prix/Best in Show winner, as well as provide insights as to what made these campaigns stand out from the competition.

“With diverse audiences driving growth, it’s a necessity to authentically connect with today’s dynamic consumer—and the caliber of these entries are a reflection of the bold campaigns that move markets and minds,” said Awards Chair Victor Paredes, Executive Director of Multicultural Strategy, Collage Group. “The Strategic Excellence Awards showcase what happens when you marry data-driven insights with culture-forward creative… pure magic. There is no award series of this kind, and we are proud to be an example for the marketing & advertising industry in recognizing campaigns that move the needle.”

THE SHORT LIST*

Best Hispanic Cultural Insight

Agency/Company	Client Name	Campaign
alma	Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center	Late
alma	McDonald’s	Spotlight Dorado
BeautifulBeast	Children’s Health Foundation	Borrowed Stories
CCOM Group Inc.	Neutrogena Invisible Daily Defense Face Serum SPF 60 & Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Face Serum SPF 60	Neutrogena X Café Versailles: Making SPF Application as Habitual as Latinos’ Daily Cafecito
CULTURE+	Kellanova/Pringles	Pringles Salva La Ñ
INFUSION by Castells	Charter Communications/Spectrum	Life Unlimited Inspiration Campaign: “Infinito”
Lopez Negrete Communications	H-E-B Supermarkets	Es Para Mi y H-E-B Lo Sabe
Lopez Negrete Communications	Hyundai Elantra	The Corporate Makeover Manifest
NBCUniversal	P&G/Vicks	What’s in my MAN Bag?
Ogilvy	IKEA	Whatever You Call It, IKEA Has It
Southeast Toyota	Southeast Toyota Distributors/Hybrid Models	As Hybrid as You Are
Zubi Advertising	Ford Motor Company	MVP Mom

 

Mainstream Impact

Agency/Company Name	Client Name	Campaign
d exposito & Partners	Cafe Santo Domingo	Common Ground
Dieste, Inc.	AT&T Brand	Fans Soccer Club Campaign
Gallegos United	California Milk Processor Board/Got Milk	Real Is Back

 

Impactful Multicultural Research

Agency/Company Name	Client Name	Campaign
Collage Group	Multicultural Research	America Now: Drive Growth with the New Inclusive Marketing
d exposito & Partners	Point32Health	Tufts Health Plan Direct
DLG Research for Select Milk Producers	Select Milk Producers/Gloria Butter	Butter Market Exploration
Lopez Negrete Communications	Houston Endowment	“You’ve Come This Far” Multicultural Naturalization Campaign
Nativa Inc.	American Red Cross	Blood Donation

 

Impact on Innovation

Agency/Company Name	Client Name	Campaign
Blanco-Lorenz	AETN	HISTORIA Fast Channel

 

Shopper and/or Experiential Impact

Agency/Company Name	Client Name	Campaign
BeautifulBeast	Match Group/Chispa App	Amor with No BS
NBC Universal	Walmart	The Nuevolution Project
Ogilvy	IKEA	Whatever You Call It, IKEA Has It

 

Media Connections & Content Strategy Impact

Agency/Company Name	Client Name	Campaign
Ally Financial	Ally Financial	Ally, Siempre Tu Aliado
Canela Media	Hormal Foods/The SPAM® Brand	Con Sazón
Orci Advertising	American Honda Motor Company	Honda Stage
Relevant+, Inc	Ally Financial/Digital Banking	A Savings Bucket to Honor You
Zubi Advertising	Ford Motor Company	Ford’s MVP Mom

 

Content Creator & Consumer Engagement Strategy

Agency/Company Name	Client Name	Entry Name
BBQ Agency	IPCVA – Argentine Beef Promotion Institute	The Texas Open Fire Meat-Up: Where Argentines’ Legendary Bragging Influenced the Influencers
CCOM Group Inc.	Neutrogena Invisible Daily Defense Face Serum SPF 60 & Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Face Serum SPF 60	Neutrogena x Café Versailles: Making SPF Application as Habitual as Latinos’ Daily Cafecito
CCOM Group Inc.	Southeast Toyota Distributors/Hybrid Models	As Hybrid as You Are
Sensis	Church’s Texas Chicken	OG Crunch Challenge
Zubi Advertising	Lincoln Motor Company	Lincoln’s Aviator Launch

 

Creative Ingenuity

Agency/Company Name	Client Name	Campaign
BeautifulBeast	Children’s Health Foundation	Borrowed Stories
BeautifulBeast	Match Group/Chispa App	Amor with No BS
Canela Media	Canela Media	Cine de Oro
CULTURE+	Kellanova/Pringles	Pringles Salva la Ñ
Ogilvy	IKEA	Whatever You Call It, IKEA Has It
Southeast Toyota	Southeast Toyota Distributors/Hybrid Models	As Hybrid as You Are

 

Pro Bono

Agency/Company Name	Client Name	Campaign
alma	Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center	Late
Casanova McCann	Brady United/The Ad Council: “End Family Fire” Joint Public Education Effort	Da el Siguiente Paso (Take the Next Step) Campaign
Mundial Media and Casanova//McCann	Brady United/The Ad Council: “End Family Fire” Joint Public Education effort	Da el Siguiente Paso (Take the Next Step) AI-Powered Media Targeting
Orci Advertising	It Gets Better	It Gets Better

 

For more information, visit hispanicmarketingcouncil.org and follow the HMC on LinkedIn and Instagram at @hmchispanic.

*These awards are open to all U.S.-based companies. Only submissions where the media has run at some point between January 2024 until February 2025 may enter.

About HMC: Founded in 1996 as the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies, the Hispanic Marketing Council is the national trade organization of all marketing, communications, and media firms with trusted Hispanic expertise.