J.C. Penney Showcases Fall Fashion at People en Español's Fiesta

September 29, 2008-- People en Español's Fiesta provided the backdrop for J.C. Penney to put its fall fashion collection on view during the recent daylong music fest in New York's Central Park. The retailer showcased looks from in-store brands including a.n.a., American Living and Bisou Bisou and provided on-site trends and fashion experts for one-on-one fashion consults with fiesta participants. TV personality Carlos Calderon (on home page, left) served as host of the fashion show, sharing the stage with Melissa Marty, (on home page, right), winner of the J.C. Penney-sponsored "Nuestra Belleza Latina," which airs on Univision. Five "Nuestra Belleza" contestants and other models (pictured above) showed off this fall season's most popular designs, patterns and colors, including cotton twill sweaters, printed wool skirts and knee high boots. Also on hand, was Olivia Vela, director of multicultural marketing, J.C. Penney, who told MarketingyMedios.com earlier this month that the large Hispanic gathering in the park provided a venue for the retailer to spend "good quality time" with consumers, noting: "We're very vested with these consumers and we want to make sure that we're creating an emotional connection with them at every step across all of the programs that we execute."

La Costeña Challenges Jalapeño Lovers to Feel the Heat

September 15, 2008-- The La Costeña brand of Mexican salsas, beans and peppers invited jalapeño aficiandos to commemorate Mexican Independence Day, (Dies y seis de Septiembre), at its annual La Costeña Feel the Heat Jalapeño Eating Championship Challenge in Chicago on Sunday (Sept. 14).

The winner of the professional speed eating competition was Pat Bertoletti, (above and on home page), who consumed 127 jalapeños in eight minutes.

Some 30,000 spectators watched the hot pepper contest, a key attraction at Chicago’s annual Mexican Independence Day festival.

The Chicago competition was the final stop in a summer long tour by the jalapeño brand, which visited cities including Los Angeles, Dallas, San Antonio, Houston and Atlanta.

Inaugural 'Tecate Premios Deportes' Honors the Best in Sports

August 01, 2008-- The best Hispanics in the sports world were center stage during the first-ever broadcast of the "Tecate Premios Deportes" awards show, a live-to-tape program that aired on July 20 via Univision. The event honored Hispanic athletes in ten categories who were selected for their talent, character and perseverance -- the key attributes of the Tecate brand -- as well as for their contributions to and impact on the Hispanic community. The two-hour special telecast was taped at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, Calif., and featured an all-star lineup of celebrity athletes including Indy 500 Champion and "Dancing With the Stars" winner Helio Castroneves; Chicago Fire's Cuauhtémoc Blanco; Major League Baseball legend Fernando Valenzuela and others such as boxing greats Victor Ortiz and Oscar De La Hoya (shown on home page, left to right), who took some practice jabs at each other for the cameras. The event began with a soccer-themed green carpet, which was graced by Latino celebs including actress Sofia Vergara; entertainer Charo, Univision's Bárbara Bermudo and "El Gordo y La Flaca's" Raúl de Molina (above), who made the biggest splash of the night, literally, via a hot tub on wheels steered by an entourage of lovely Latinas. The show's hosts were radio personality Eddie "Piolín" Sotelo; TV sportscaster Fernando Fiore; and actress Angélica Vale. Tecate served as the title sponsor of the broadcast, with TV spots for Tecate airing nationally throughout the show, TV spots for Tecate Light airing on the West Coast and State Farm participating in the program via product integration.

J.C. Penney Debuts Designer Fashion Line in N.Y., Honors Latino Youth at 'Premios Juventud' in Miami

July 22, 2008-- J.C. Penney made a big splash at separate events in New York and Miami last week, debuting a designer fashion collection with a multicultural flair via an invitation-only runway show and recognizing Hispanic youth for academic excellence at Univision's "Premios Juventud." Ken Hicks, J.C. Penney's president and chief merchandising officer, joined designer and fashionista Kimora Lee Simmons (both are shown on home page, left to right), in unveiling her exclusive Fabulosity collection for the retailer on July 15 at New York hotspot Hiro. The new line is one of several lifestyle fashion collections aimed at multicultural consumers being introduced by the retailer just in time for back-to-school. In Miami, J.C. Penney awarded three college scholarships totaling $45,000 ($15,000 each) that recognize the academic achievements of Hispanic high school graduates during the live televised broadcast on July 17 of the youth-focused "Premios Juventud." Olivia E. Vela, J.C. Penney's multicultural marketing director, (shown above, far left presented scholarships to Edwin Hernandez-Otero, Puerto Rico; Daigelis Rodriguez, Miami; and Cecile M. Vazquez, Los Angeles; (all are shown above with Vela, left to right). Hernandez-Otero will study computer engineering and mathematics at the University of Mayagüez; Rodriguez will pursue a degree in piano performance at Palm Beach Atlantic University; and Vazquez plans to study nursing/pre-med at California State University with a goal of becoming a pediatrician. Scholarship winners were selected based on their school grade point average, extra curricular activities and an essay on the obstacles they have overcome in their lives. The students were also treated to a spa day at a J.C. Penney salon in Miami, where they were given the VIP-treatment of hair, makeup and other services. A wardrobe stylist made them Red-Carpet ready with a style makeover featuring back-to-school looks from J.C. Penney's new collection of Juniors' and Young Men's ready-to-wear.

'Selecciones' Goes Red to Celebrate Heart Health

June 24, 2008-- Spanish-language magazine Selecciones teamed up with Macy's and the American Heart Association's Go Red de Corazón campaign to promote heart health among Hispanic women. The magazine hosted the event on June 19 at the Ritz Carlton in Coconut Grove, Fla. It was the first major effort to reach Latinas with a message about the health risks of heart disease and how to prevent it. Macy's also partnered with Selecciones to insert the association's Heart Health Guide in the February issue of the magazine. Latina celebs from Spanish-language TV, including (on home page, left to right), Telemundo's María Antonieta Collins' and Univision's Lili Estefan of "El Gordo y la Flaca," and Teresa Rodríguez, host of "Aquí y Ahora," were among the guests clad in their finest reds to honor Silvia Gallegos, a heart health advocate. The TV trio of Collins, Estefan and Rodríguez was joined (above) by Neida Sandoval, host of Univision's "¡Despierta América!" and Genevieve Marlin-Fernandez, editor, Selecciones.