The National Football League celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with its season-long “Por La Cultura” campaign by highlighting players, coaches and staff of Hispanic descent, celebrating Hispanic excellence and telling authentic Hispanic stories. The initiative includes a variety of national and local cultural and community activities, and this season, the League is introducing new partnerships, collaborations and activations to celebrate Latino culture. With a large and passionate Hispanic fan base, as well as a growing number of Hispanic players, sports personnel and Legends, the NFL and its clubs are committed to celebrating the diversity of cultures that make up the Hispanic community.
To kick off the season with “Por La Cultura,” the League released a new video, titled “The Celebration” (“La Celebración“). The television spot features award-winning actor, performer and NFL fan Anthony Ramos, and highlights how football embraces different cultures, unites society and inspires youth. Advocating the diversity and resonance of NFL fans, players and staff, the video, “The Celebration,” will support various marketing initiatives throughout the season.
For the second year in a row, the League joins the Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) as the exclusive sponsor of the Youth Sports & Fitness awards category, recognizing Hispanic youth who have contributed to the areas of fitness and sports. The winners, who will be announced later this season, will receive scholarships to support their college education and/or support their community service efforts. With the support of Anthony Ramos, the League and NFL teams will publicize the existence of the scholarships and promote local nominations of candidates, in parallel with a national advertising campaign that will increase awareness of the scholarships. For more information about nominations or registration, visit NFL.com/PorLaCultura.
In addition, the NFL is proud to partner with the Hispanic non-profit organization Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement (HACE-Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement) as part of the “Por La Cultura campaign.” HACE produces and disseminates high-impact, culturally sensitive content to corporate groups large and small, empowering Hispanic employees to become better leaders in their profession, home and community.
“It is critical that our content, marketing and partnerships reflect, celebrate and serve every aspect of our diverse population,” says Marissa Solis, senior vice president of global brand and consumer marketing for the NFL. “We are fortunate that we have one of the largest Hispanic fan bases of any sport in our country. And that’s why we’re excited to have targeted content that highlights the contributions and impact Latinos have on our sport.”
“The ‘Por La Cultura’ campaign speaks to the vibrancy, common denominators and differences within our fan base,” comments Javier Farfan, NFL Cultural Marketing Strategist. “Our purpose is to amplify the voices of the Hispanic community on and off the field. With an authentic brand campaign and partnerships with key individuals and personalities in our community as vehicles, we want to inspire enthusiasm, activities and eagerness year-round – for the culture.”
“As a huge NFL fan, I am honored to be a part of the ‘Por La Cultura’ campaign this season,” added Anthony Ramos. “The NFL’s passion, diversity and commitment to the Hispanic community has grown tremendously in recent years, and the cultural impacts of these initiatives will be felt for years to come.
SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT TO HIGHLIGHT
To connect the Hispanic community to American soccer on a regular basis, the NFL launched the El Snap NFL on its Instagram account in 2021. This season, a new series of content on El Snap will begin to be unveiled, including a collaboration with Marcus Rivero (@solesbysir), the celebrity athletic footwear designer, who will design a series of footwear and studs for players and coaching staffs of a number of teams. Five teams, including the Los Angeles Chargers, Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Commanders will highlight NFL player positions in Spanish with the “Por La Cultura” NFL shield patch as a tribute to Latino culture.
The Snap is “the Latino side of the NFL,” framing how music, video games, food, traditions, language and people can enhance the NFL fan experience and highlighting how NFL teams around the country embrace the diversity of their local communities. It is part of the NFL’s content offering designed for Hispanic fans, including MundoNFL on YouTube, MundoNFL on Twitter, www.NFL.com Mundo, and content from many NFL clubs. In addition, the League and its media distributors offer live coverage of games in Spanish on ESPN Deportes, FOX Deportes, Universo, Telemundo, Amazon Prime Video, and Entravision (click here to see how you can watch NFL games in Spanish).
Throughout the 2022 season, NFL teams will bring the “Por La Cultura” campaign to life through in-game public recognition, community events, and social media promotions.
THE “POR LA CULTURA” MUSIC SERIES
On the heels of J Balvin and Trueno’s memorable performance at the inaugural NFL Kickoff game, and with fans and teams more eager and excited than ever before to connect in more dynamic ways, the NFL will launch the “Por La Cultura Music Series.” Beginning this month, efforts alongside local teams will bring unique concerts and musical experiences to fans in key markets. Featured musical performers include Piso 21, Dímelo Flow, DJ Camilo, Sofía Reyes, and Gera MX, among others.
Later this fall, the NFL will release its first “Por La Cultura Mixtape” with production powerhouse NEON16, led by multi-platinum creatives One Six and super-producer Tainy. The collaboration contains a series of exclusive songs, including “Rómpela” featuring Yandel, El Alfa and Will. I.Am, which is the first song on the mixtape and the theme song for the opening video of “The Celebration” campaign. In addition to the television commercial, “Rómpela” will be included in League and team-level activations and content to be distributed during the 2022 season.
LA COLABORACIÓN DE INDUMENTARIA NFL x CHITO
This season, the NFL continues its “Por La Cultura” collection by collaborating with CHITO on two limited edition Mitchell & Ness ‘Legacy’ jerseys. A series of nine official airbrushed helmets on display at Azteca Stadium during the international game in Mexico City on November 21 will complement this market launch.
CHITO is a Mexican-American artist originally from Seattle, with an international practice rooted in Mexico. The jerseys do not lose their focus on portability while enhancing the classic soccer jersey structure with this artist’s signature airbrushed style. The story behind these prints pays tribute to the eagle and snake of Mexico’s national flag and connects us to American soccer. The jerseys also include the shield patch that celebrates Hispanic excellence. It is a mark of the League’s commitment to excellence, both on and off the field, in the Hispanic communities that continue to shape, influence and propel it forward. The partnership will be launched on October 14 via NFLShop.com.
MORE ABOUT THE NFL AND HISPANIC HERITAGE FOUNDATION
The NFL and Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) are teaming up to support this year’s Youth Awards in the Sports & Fitness category. Founded in 1998 by HHF, the Youth Awards honor Hispanic high school seniors who excel in the classroom and in their community for excellence in several categories including Business & Finance, Community Service, Entrepreneurship, Education, Health Care & Science, Media & Entertainment, Public Service, Social Justice, Technology, as well as Sports & Fitness.
These efforts are part of the NFL’s commitment to use its platform and convening power to celebrate Hispanic communities. Enhancing and supporting youth efforts in our communities is a focal point of the ongoing “Por La Cultura” initiative.
Along with HHF, awards in the gold, silver and bronze categories will be distributed in the Sports and Fitness category. These youth will receive a scholarship to fund their college education or a community service effort that addresses a social issue.
