What Hispanic Heritage Month Means for Young Hero
In 2006, San Antonio–based Hispanic agency Bromley Communications offered me a job in their Miami office, marking the start of my career in Hispanic advertising. The position was to work on the Burger King US Hispanic account as a junior creative. At the time, I didn’t fully realise the weight of being part of an industry that was still trying to figure out how to value its audience. As a young creative seeking long-term visa status in the US, I was laser-focused on doing great work—because that’s what I needed in order to secure an O-1 visa. By 2007, I was fortunate enough to represent the US Hispanic market at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity after winning the Young Creatives competition in Miami, I couldn’t believe it.
The challenge my partner and I faced was to develop a print ad encouraging Hispanic creatives to pursue jobs at Hispanic agencies instead of the general market. We designed a simple visual using a classic networking ‘Hello, my name is’ sticker. It read ‘Hello, my name is ROBERTO MARTÍNEZ,’ but with the 'erto' and 'ez' blurred out, leaving only 'Rob Martin.’ The irony of the brief? It reflected my personal ambition. I always felt that I belonged in the general market advertising community, and with that came the pressure to erase parts of myself in order to fit in and prove it.
Ultimately, I did make the transition to general market advertising. Just two years later, in fact. But what led to those feelings? Well for once, back then, I often felt boxed in. When we were pitching to general market clients, our ideas would get shot down for not being 'Hispanic enough.' That phrase frustrated me because it reduced our culture to clichés and stereotypes. The truth is that Latin culture is broad, layered, and extremely nuanced. To force every creative idea into a narrow definition of 'Hispanic insight' was not only limiting but also dismissive of the diversity within our community. But I know that’s what fuelled a lot of the great work we see in the industry today for this audience.
Fast forward to 2025, the landscape looks very different. Today, Hispanic creativity is not an afterthought; it’s celebrated on global stages. From award-winning campaigns to breakthrough cultural moments, our industry has evolved. Work rooted in our culture is no longer confined to the margins. It’s centre stage at the Superbowl, global arenas and also the biggest film and advertising festivals in the world.
Hispanic Heritage Month is both personal and professional for me. Personally, it reminds me of my roots and the journey that took me from Ecuador to the US and eventually to co-founding Young Hero. Professionally, it fuels my commitment to build a company that doesn’t just participate in culture but helps shape it.
When we started Young Hero in 2018, part of our mission was to stay true to who we are as a LatinX and women-owned agency. Hispanic Heritage Month isn’t just a date for us—it’s a reminder of why we built this company: to empower future generations and create work that reflects the diverse cultures my co-founders and I bring to the table.
So, this Hispanic Heritage Month, we’d like to share a few ways studios and brands can support the Hispanic community:
- Lending branding and strategy resources to help amplify Latin small businesses
- Connecting more deeply with Hispanic artisans to promote and credit their craft
- Bringing niche Hispanic creators into brainstorms to help ensure the work resonates authentically
- Investing in mentorship programs that guide young Hispanic talent entering the creative industry, helping to build the pipeline for the next generation
Hispanic Heritage Month isn’t just about looking back at history. It’s about looking forward—to a future where LatinX creativity is not just represented, but truly embraced as a driving force in culture. If we need an example, just look at what Bad Bunny has done with his residency in PR.
