Cultura is Everything

By  Roberto Ramos – ceo / founder / chief creative officer / the Ideatelier : culture is everything

How the New Wave Latino Pop Culture Revolution Is the Real Deal

Just a couple of weeks ago, Anna Wintour and the Met’s Costume Institute announced both the theme for the next Met Gala and its co-hosts. “Sleeping Beauty : Reawakening Fashion,” taps into the Institute’s archives through a vintage romantic lens. And it’s two Latinos, Jennifer Lopez and Bad Bunny, that will be joining the Fashion Editorial icon to set the tone for the show, from artist direction to the coveted guest list.

In the rarefied world of fashion and pop culture, the Met Gala sits at the top of a pyramid of status around culture and aesthetic codes and hence the inclusion of these two artists shows how far Latino culture has come in fashion and lifestyle circles. And let’s not lose sight of how timely the show’s upcoming title is as Latino culture is indeed waking things up, and turning industries and clients that listen into awakened sleeping beauties.

This Latino Wave is Different

The addition of Bad Bunny as Co-host is a symbolic counter-balance to JLO, who, despite doing her thing powerfully and beautifully, is more emblematic of the last Latino wave in the 1990s with Shakira and Ricky Martin. That wave incorporated Latin flair but it was still assimilationist in nature, with the artists, especially the Spanish-speaking ones, having to “cross over” singing in English.

Bad Bunny’s turn is different and captures the new energy around culture and how consumers embrace it. He did a defiant, inverse cross-over in Spanish, taking a reggaeton movement with a deep following that began with OGs like Tego Calderón and Ivy Queen and made more commercially viable with Daddy Yankee, and made it global.

Bad Bunny’s uncompromised rise serves a brand and marketing playlist as he deploys a culture-drenched approach with a heavy dose of Insta-ready fashion statements, smart branding beginning with his stage name and persona, and a command of visual language that is bold yet inviting. And of course, he serves the soft power influence of refusing to speak English. When he accepted his Grammy in Spanish, CBS’s closed captioned system coded his speech as “speaking non-English,” creating a powerful meme for bi-cultural Latinos everywhere.

New Crossover, On Our Terms

Bad Bunny and Urbano’s prior outlier and underdog status, similar to Hip-Hop’s for many years, is precisely its draw and appeal during an era of unapologetic authenticity. In refusing to bend to the establishment, he and the movement craft a new form of desire, a timeless tool in generating cultural currency and following. Karol G is following a similar playbook, adding the beautifully wondrous texture of Latina third wave feminism, served with a futurist tropical bent.

A similar and simultaneous boom is happening with regional Mexican culture and music. Until now sitting at the sidelines of mainstream Hispanic culture, the genre and aesthetics, unapologetically embrace corridos tumbados along with Latin urban elements. This new school Regional Mexican movement comes with an edgier aesthetic code but without compromising any of the cultural legitimacy. Like urbano music, it is Latino youth fueling its energy and commercial success.

We’re Global Baby

Both music genres are global phenomena, which are following Hip Hop’s playbook to navigate from outlier underdog status all the way to luxury, with these artists now repping some of the biggest fashion houses globally. In doing so it’s not just the music, but it’s Latin culture, especially Latin youth culture that is being served, including colors, textures, food, and more. This is ushering a new set of brands fueled by Latin culture, including WIlly Chavarria’s and his ranchero-punk styles breaking new grounds in fashion.

The surround sound around this Latino boom also includes Sports, where the Messi phenomenon, along with the Latino representation in the MLB, and the commercial boost of Latinos to both the NFL and MLS, all put a strong Latino flair in sports.

Implications for Brands

The first lesson for brands is not to sleep on culture. And as they play catch up with Latino culture now, as they did with Hip Hop, they need to take the following into consideration to get it right:

• Listen to Outlier Cultures: Marginalized traditions often hold untapped potential for growth and innovation. Make sure your brand is poised to listen in different ways, engage in different ways, and become agile to partner with the culture to create the next big thing.
• Authentic Engagement: In an era craving authenticity, diluting cultural expressions is not an option. Storytelling, myths, and cultural authenticity are paramount. Embrace its core, humor, emerging trends. This will deliver freshness and authenticity.
• Strategic Integration: Incorporating Latino culture and markets into growth strategies is essential for any significant expansion. Otherwise the numbers won’t cut it and you will not be able to deliver growth.
• Culture Over Language, but Español Still Matters: While embracing the Spanish language’s emotional depth and reach, remember that culture’s universal appeal transcends linguistic barriers. But lean into the language’s emotive power, especially in music, which as I mentioned above, is heating up everything.
• Unique U.S. Blend: U.S. Latino culture is a distinctive amalgamation influenced by Latin America yet uniquely American. Recognize and leverage this unique culture.
• This Latino culture revolution will continue to grow, evolve, and innovate. In this journey there are plenty of opportunities for the right partners to collaborate, lift, celebrate and learn, creating an authentic foundation for connecting with consumers driving culture forward.
  So listen up, take it all in, because Cultura is Everything.