Posted by Elena del Valle on March 3, 2006
Jeff Zucker, chief executive officer, NBC Universal Television Group
Photo: NBC Universal
Burbank, California – In a landmark move, NBC Universal Television Group signed a two-year, first-look development deal with Galán Entertainment for the production of telenovelas and other Spanish-language formats in English across its many networks. In contrast to other similar network arrangements, NBC Universal, Galán Entertainment and Telemundo will leverage the existing assets and expertise of the novela (soap opera) production system perfected by Telemundo, the second-largest Spanish language content producer in the United States, for the Spanish language market. Telemundo will license all its formats, in addition to other acquired formats, to Galán Entertainment to re-develop into English.
“This represents a fantastic opportunity to achieve many of our goals at NBCU,” said Jeff Zucker, chief executive officer, NBC Universal Television Group. “With this, we can better integrate our English and Spanish-speaking audiences in a way that no other broadcaster can do. It shows the tremendous promise we first saw when we brought Telemundo into the NBC family.”
Don Browne, president, Telemundo
Photo: Telemundo
“The deal further highlights the value of GE’s and NBCU’s investment in Spanish language television,” said Don Browne, president, Telemundo. “Nely Galán provides the perfect bridge to transport the great development, production and writing talents of the Telemundo team into English language.”
Nely Galán, president, Galan Entertainment
Photo: Galan Entertainment
“It is a dream come true to take the genre I grew up with and be able to cross it over. I expect to see novelas as a staple of American TV,” said Nely Galán, president, Galan Entertainment. “My experience producing programs in both English and Spanish will allow me to fine tune these formats and maximize their impact on the American television audience.”
As part of the deal Gálan Entertainment will re-shape Telemundo and other suppliers’ Spanish language formats for the English market, first for NBC, USA and Bravo, and then for other networks. Galán, who is the former president of Entertainment for Telemundo, has produced more than 600 episodes of television in Spanish and English. Most recently, she created the show “The Swan” for Telemundo.
The first project to be developed for production this summer will be the Telemundo production “Body of Desire,” written by Julio Jimenez. Key players in the Telemundo Studios team are Patricio Wills, head of Telemundo Studios; Marcos Santana, head of development; and Derek Bond, head of production.
Posted by Elena del Valle on March 2, 2006
Gary Bassell, chairman & CEO, The Bravo Group
New York City – Pfizer Consumer Healthcare selected The Bravo Group, a well known Hispanic market agency, as its advertising agency of record for the U.S. Hispanic market. Bravo, which has 20 years of healthcare experience, will develop multi-brand marketing programs for Pfizer Consumer Healthcare.
“Pfizer Consumer Healthcare is committed to building strong relationships with Hispanic consumers,” said Jaime Aranda, director, Ethnic Business Development at Pfizer. “After an agency review, we were persuaded by Bravo’s integrated marketing capabilities, robust strategic planning process, media buying structure and expertise in marketing to Hispanic consumers in this country.”
Pfizer Consumer Healthcare and Bravo are evaluating a full array of marketing practice options facilitated by the agency’s experiential marketing practice including retail and promotional marketing, digital/interactive and direct marketing/crm targeting Spanish-speaking consumers in the United States. Pfizer Consumer Healthcare joins The Bravo Group’s roster of blue chip clients that includes Cingular, Sears, Mazda, Kraft Foods, ChevronTexaco, Miller Brewing Company, Visa, Microsoft, Hertz, U.S. Postal Service, The New York Times and Time Warner Cable.
“Healthcare marketing to Hispanic consumers is uncommonly rewarding,” explained Gary Bassell, chairman and CEO of The Bravo Group. “It’s an area where acute planning insights can be effectively leveraged, dimensionalized brand experiences developed utilizing a range of marketing practices and the team instilled with a sense that work with a meaningful benefit is being done for the market.”
De Jesús-Cutler, president & COO, The Bravo Group
“One of the fastest growing segments in the Hispanic market is healthcare, and Pfizer, a Fortune 500 leading healthcare company, has long recognized the contributions Hispanics have made to their business,” said Linda De Jesús-Cutler, president and COO, The Bravo Group. “We look forward to partnering with them and building on their success,” she added.
The Consumer Healthcare Division of Pfizer Inc., headquartered in Morris Plains, New Jersey, is described as the world’s second-largest consumer healthcare company, with a portfolio of market-leading brands that include Benadryl®, Listerine Antiseptic Mouthwash®, Neosporin®, Sudafed®, Visine®, and Zantac®. The Bravo Group, a Young & Rubicam Brands company, is a pioneer agency of Hispanic marketing that continues to be a leader today among U.S. Hispanic integrated communications agency groups after 25 years in the U.S. Hispanic market.
Established in 1980, The Bravo Group has created award-winning marketing programs that include research and strategic planning; advertising, interactive/digital, direct, promotional and event marketing; media planning/buying; branded entertainment and public relations. Recognized in 2005 as one of the two largest Hispanic agencies in the U.S. by Advertising Age, the company is headquartered in New York and has offices in San Francisco, Chicago, Miami and Irvine, California.
Posted by Elena del Valle on March 1, 2006
Méjico Máxico album cover
Photos: Nacional Records
Led by Camilo Lara, Mexican Institute of Sound, MIS, released its debut album in February. Prior to the album, MIS had collaborated on remixes for bands and friends like Placebo, Gecko Turner, Babasonicos, and Le Hammond Inferno. Described as emerging from the Mexico City underground, the new release is titled “Méjico Máxico” (Nacional Records).
Mexican Institute of Sound (MIS) is a one man project helmed by music industry tastemaker Camilo Lara. An icon of the city, Lara spends his days working in a box-set office within a city of 25 million souls. When he steps out, he becomes involved with the underground music movement. He produces his electronic music with only the help of his computer, his nurturing imagination, and his extensive collection of vinyl.
Some describe his talent as his ability to carefully select and blend diverse musical references to create surprising results. Camilo Lara has distinguished himself as a musical trendsetter among his friends. His annual Christmas compilation of the year’s best tracks and unreleased MIS tracks has become a sought-after collector’s item in certain circles.
Camilo Lara
“Méjico Máxico” is “a collage featuring snippets of cumbia, cha cha chas, glimpses of Esquivel, poems by Juan Rulfo, electronica, dub and musical references spanning from the 1920’s through the 60’s” meant to reflect Mexican Institute of Sound’s unique impression of life in bustling Mexico City.
To listen to the Mexican Institute of Sound’s recently-released “Mirando a las Muchachas” song, scroll down on HispanicMPR.com until you see “Podcast” on the right hand side, then select “Mexican Institute of Sound Mirando a las Muchachas,” hit the play button or download it to your iPod or MP3 player to listen on the go, in your car or at home. To download it, click on the arrow of the recording you wish to copy and save to disk. The podcast will remain listed in the March 2006 section of the podcast.
