Hispanic Advertising Industry Pioneer Lionel Sosa Receives Top Honor

April 3, 2009

Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA) Presents Hispanic-Specialized Advertising Executive and Industry Legend with the Eduardo Caballero Lifetime Achievement Award

LAS VEGAS and McLEAN, Va., April 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Lionel Sosa, an independent marketing consultant, nationally-recognized portrait artist, and acknowledged expert in Hispanic consumer and voter behavior, received one of the industry's highest honors today - the Eduardo Caballero Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA). During a special ceremony at the AHAA Media Buying and Planning Conference in Las Vegas, advertising professionals from around the country paid tribute to Sosa, a pioneer of the thriving advertising industry that specializes in marketing to the nation's 46 million Hispanics and founder of Sosa, Bromley, Aguilar & Associates, now Bromley Communications, a leading independent Hispanic advertising agency in the U.S.

"Eduardo taught me a few things to live by," Sosa said in his acceptance remarks. "Be proud of your Latino culture and do the best work you can do, and you will always succeed. When I started Sosa & Associates, there were only 3 million Latinos in the U.S. and only four Hispanic-specialized marketing agencies. I had one little goal for our small San Antonio-based agency: to be the largest Hispanic-specialized agency in the United States. We planned for our success and achieved our goal."

Al Aguilar, CEO of Creative Civilization, former AHAA chairman presented the award to his former partner. "Lionel is a legend: an inspiration to me as well as many others in this business today," Aguilar said. "He is the quintessential Renaissance man and his 35 years in the industry have left an indelible mark. Lionel created advertising that touched the heart of consumers."

The Caballero Award is presented to individuals whose lifetime contribution, dedication and vision have been crucial in creating and fostering the U.S. Hispanic market. Past recipients include: Castor Fernandez, Sara Sunshine, Jose Manuel Cubas, Joaquin Blaya and Alicia Conill, and Tere Zubizarreta. Eduardo Caballero blazed the trail in the Hispanic broadcasting industry with over 40 years of experience in Spanish-language television and radio, and was instrumental in the development of AHAA nearly 12 years ago.

"AHAA reserves this coveted award for industry legends who exemplify the courage, honor and dignity of our professional heritage and embrace the future we are building," said Jose Lopez-Varela. "Lionel is one of the visionaries who brought Hispanic-specialized marketing into focus for advertisers. He understands and communicates the uniqueness of Latinos consumers, and has propelled our industry forward. Lionel deserves this award for his exceptional contributions to our profession, his inspiration to so many of us in the industry, and his dedication and motivation to elevate Hispanics in the U.S. This award is an expression of our sincere appreciation and gratitude for his numerous and valuable contributions to Hispanic-specialized marketing."

Sosa was named "One of the 25 most influential Hispanics in America" by Time Magazine in 2005 and is a member of the Texas Business Hall of Fame. He is the author of Think and Grow Rich, a Latino Choice and The Americano Dream: How Latinos Can Achieve Success in Business and in Life, and co-author of El Vaquero Real- the Original American Cowboy. He is a contributing author of Latinos and the Nations Future, edited by Henry Cisneros. Sosa has been a media consultant for Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush and was co-chairman of the John McCain advertising committee; his seventh national presidential race.

Currently, Sosa serves on the board of directors of QuePasa.com, the largest bilingual online community in the country as well as SiTV, the leading 24/7 cable television channel in English targeted to Latinos. Lionel has served on the Board of Regents of The Texas A&M University System, the Board of Trustees for the University of the Incarnate Word, the Boards of Sesame Workshop, creators of Sesame Street, ACT (American College Testing) and the Public Broadcasting System. He chaired both the United Way of San Antonio and the San Antonio Symphony and was Executive Director for the grassroots foundation, Mexicans and Americans Thinking Together.

About AHAA :

The Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA) is the national organization of firms that specialize in marketing to the nation's more than 46 million Hispanic consumers, the most rapidly growing segment of the American population. AHAA promotes the strength of the Hispanic marketing and advertising industry to the private and public sectors. AHAA agencies offer a unique blend of cultural understanding, market intelligence, proven experience and professionalism that deliver Hispanic market success for clients. AHAA agencies help organizations gain market share, increase revenue and grow profits by building the bridges and delivering the messages to reach America's Hispanic consumers, who together have an estimated buying power of nearly $1 trillion. Visit www.ahaa.org for more information.

SOURCE Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies