NFL Selects MEL to Rally U.S. Latinos to Make Their Voices Heard and Score Votes This Election Season

This year, the NFL partnered with the Hispanic integrated communications agency MEL to launch a non-partisan “Latino Votes” national campaign encouraging U.S. Latinos to vote for their country’s future as part of the NFL Votes initiative. The initiative focuses on three components of the electoral process, voter education, registration, and activation, and encourages eligible voters to actively engage in the upcoming election cycle by helping them prepare for election day.

The campaign, created and produced by MEL, features Carolina Panthers’ Head Coach Dave Canales, the only Latino head coach in the NFL, delivering a pep talk in a locker room filled with a diverse group of Latinos. Coach Dave emphasizes that democracy is a game of voices and underscores how Latinos can shape their own future. He highlights the crucial importance of stepping forward this November, empowering them to act and, above all, to vote.

“We are excited to collaborate with MEL to produce this important initiative. MEL is uniquely positioned to lead this given their long-standing expertise in maximizing the intersection of creative and public relations and their deep cultural understanding of the Latino community. It was also very important that our Latino NFL talent participated to inspire Latino fans to engage in their civic duties actively,” said Marissa Solis, SVP of Brand and Consumer Marketing. “Latinos have the power to use their voices and votes to advocate for what they believe in – for the country and the local communities we live in.”

There is a 13.2M voter registration opportunity gap in the Hispanic electorate. This partnership seeks to increase Latino voter turnout and ensure they exercise their voting rights. There is a significant opportunity to provide this community with information to engage them in their civic duties. According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), a 2022 post-election survey suggests that some young Latinos were affected by a lack of information. Among youth who said they were not registered to vote in 2022, only 12% of young Latinos said it was because it wasn’t important to them.

“We are incredibly honored to collaborate with the NFL in delivering a crucial message to our U.S. Hispanic community,” said Luis Miguel Messianu, Founder-President-Chief Creative Officer of MEL. “With our diverse backgrounds and perspectives, as Latino voters we have the power to influence the political landscape and champion issues vital to us. Initiatives like this are essential in educating and mobilizing our communities.”

The campaign is set to launch on August 1, 2024, on broadcast and digital channels.