FT LAUDERDALE, FL – December 11, 2020 – (LATINX NEWSWIRE) – RetroPop Media and Pepsico, in collaboration with creative agency CIEN+, were named finalists today for the 2021 PRWeek Multicultural Marketing Award for creating and producing the historic Altísimo Live virtual festival in support of America’s farmworkers.
“As the grandchild of a farmworker, being a finalist for the nation’s most prestigious PR marketing award is already a huge honor but this recognition is sweeter because it shines a light on America’s farmworkers,” said RetroPop Media CEO Manny Ruiz, who along with iHeartMedia Latino Chairman Enrique Santos co-founded the festival.
Key production, sponsor, and media coalition partners of also included P&G, PEOPLE en Español, WW, Chispa, WFHN-TV, Justice for Migrant Women, Hispanics In Philanthropy, INGEÑUITY, and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF), among others.
The PRWeek Awards is firmly established as the communications industry’s highest accolade. Other finalists include:
— AARP and Republica-Havas: AARP COVID-19 Response
— Crayola and Golin: Colors of the World Crayons
— Donate Life America and The Martin Agency: Donate Life America 83 Futures
— Dove and Joy Collective: The Crown Act
The Story Behind Altísimo Live
As COVID-19 began to ravage the country, America’s essential farmworkers – an estimated three million people who are on the frontlines sustaining our food supply during the pandemic – remained invisible and vulnerable. In the midst of this crisis, RetroPop Media partnered with iHeartMedia Latino to create a virtual festival called Altísimo Live to raise urgent awareness about the plight of farmworkers, and encourage Latinos and non-Latinos to donate funds and other aid to these communities in need.
**In just 23 days**, Altísimo Live organizers created a coalition of internationally renowned music artists, celebrities, media companies, and farmworker-serving organizations to produce an unprecedented Cinco de Mayo (May 5th) live stream benefit called Altísimo Live! Inspired by Live Aid, the music and pop culture festival aimed to raise funds – $5 at a time – for the Farmworkers’ Pandemic Relief Fund aiding farmworkers in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. The event leveraged and reframed Cinco de Mayo, into an epic, stay-at-home show filled with all-star performances, celebrities, stories from farmworker communities, and messages of gratitude and appreciation from notable Americans, with a goal of driving combined actions to support farmworkers.
Altísimo Live proved to be more than a historic and rare moment in Latino unity. In just 23 days, the event:
— Secured over 60 internationally renowned musical artists and celebrity guests including Andy Garcia; Dolores Huerta; Gloria and Emilio Estefan; Gloria Trevi; J Balvin; Jennifer Lopez; Jesse & Joy; Juanes; Los Tigres del Norte; Maluma; Mana; Marc Antony; Sech; and Sofía Vergara among many others.
— Raised over $800,000 for the Farmworkers’ Pandemic Relief Fund through donations and corporate sponsors during the Altísimo Live event.
— Developed long standing relationships with over 15 farmworker communities and corporate partners that prior to Altísimo Live did not exist. These efforts set the groundwork for potential future collaborations that can be leveraged for fundraising and ongoing relief efforts that continue to support farmworkers.
— Elevated the conversation about farmworkers and their role in helping to feed our nation, through aggressive media outreach over 200 unique stories ran in the U.S., Latin America and Europe resulting in 1.9 billion earned media impressions. Key media placements included general market and Spanish-language media: The New York Times, Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, AP, NBC News, CNN, Vogue, BBC, Telemundo, People en Español, HOLA! USA.
The management team of RetroPop Media has received numerous national and local recognitions for their work ranging from the Pulitzer Prize for community journalism and the Key to the City of Miami to the PRWeek Campaign of the Year and the Silver Anvil for Florida’s Anti-Tobacco Truth Campaign, as well as the Hispanic PR Professional of the Year Award from the Hispanic Public Relations Association.
About RetroPop Media:
Based in Ft. Lauderdale, RetroPop Media (RPM) is the world’s first retro pop culture media company dedicated to celebrating all things “Classic” and “Old School”… from the “Groovy” 70’s to the “Totally Awesome” 80’s and the “OMG” 90’s. During the COVID-19 pandemic, RPM has pivoted to executive producing large scale virtual music and pop culture festivals including Calle Ocho Live and the 116th Street Festival Live Stream, among others.
