About Us

ABOUT THE U.S.H. IDEA AWARDS
Leaders from the U.S. Hispanic advertising industry have joined forces to create The U.S.H. Idea Awards, a new industry standard to celebrate outstanding creative achievement in advertising generated by Hispanic or general market agenices targeting Hispanic consumers.  The award will be presented by Círculo Creativo in partnership with AHAA. This alliance will highlight the best in Hispanic advertising on a global scale and build international buzz for its creative awards.

The 2013 U.S.H. Idea Awards will take place Tuesday, April 30th at the New World Center in conjunction with AHAA 2013 Annual Conference. A reception will be held before the ceremony. The Gala will showcase winners in: film, radio, graphic media (print and OOH), digital, innovation, production techniques, promo, design and beyond Hispanic. 

ABOUT AHAA
AHAA: The Voice of Hispanic Marketing represents the best minds and resources dedicated to Hispanic-specialized marketing. Over the last two decades, AHAA has been a long-standing champion for corporate investment in Hispanic marketing and, since its inception in 1996, has increased Hispanic budget allocations by 12-fold.

Organizations trying to reach and connect with Hispanic consumers turn to AHAA members for unmatched cultural expertise and knowledge. Companies like General Mills, Procter & Gamble, McDonalds, Wal-Mart, Target, JC Penney, Domino’s Pizza and Allstate are tapping into the Hispanic market potential and rely on Hispanic-specialized agencies to deliver bottom-line profits even during the recession. As the voice of the Hispanic-specialized marketing industry, AHAA demonstrates the value of targeting Hispanics, showcases the impact of using AHAA member agencies, and provides forums for the discussion and dialogue between advertisers and industry professionals. Website: www.ahaa.org

ABOUT CIRCULO CREATIVO
Circulo Creativo is a nonprofit association founded in 1999 with the aim of promoting creative excellence and communication among professionals working in the U.S. Hispanic advertising market.

In the vast U.S. landscape, we are an association that strives to bridge the geographical divide  that separates the advertising professionals in our market, be they in Chicago, Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Texas, Arizona or the other various and distant cities where creatives are contributing to Hispanic focused advertising.  We promote a continuous interaction among all creatives, via programs, contests, virtual communication and events that unite from the most internationally recognized creative to the brand new copywriters and art directors. We also welcome planners, producers and production partners in order to inspire, inform, educate and create the conditions for our market to grow and evolve. Website: www.circulocreativo.org

Ray Erh
Ex-Founder/CEO | BorghiErh/Lowe

During his 22-year career in advertising, Erh Ray has created some of the most awarded creative work in Brazil - and the world. Erh has been awarded at all the key Brazilian and international festivals – including 16 Cannes, Clios, FIAP, New York Festival awards - and has brought home the Abril Award three consecutive times. He has also had 42 campaigns published in Archive magazine and was chosen by Gazeta Mercantil, the Brazilian financial times, as one of the most effective people in the Brazilian Advertising industry.

Roberto Orci
AHAA's Chair and CEO | Acento

"In partnership with Círculo Creativo, we have created an award uniquely designed for the U.S. Hispanic industry – one that is organized, judged and awarded by top Hispanic advertising creatives. The U.S.H. Idea Award will become the standard to showcase the best work from our industry and elevate it to compete on an international level."

RODOLFO BORRELL
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In 1995, Rodolfo Borrell earned a Bachelor's Degree in Advertising at Universidad Iberoamericana in Santo Domingo. That same year he began his career as an assistant in the creative department at Pagés BBDO. In 1996 he moves to Nazca Cumbre Saatchi & Saatchi to works as Junior Art Director; seven months later he joins Young & Rubicam / Damaris as Art Director. In 1999 he returns to Pagés BBDO as Creative Director for retail accounts, where he wins his first local and international awards.

In 2008 Borrell was promoted to Chief Creative Officer, becoming member of the Pagés Group board of directors. Two years later he was promoted to Vice President & Chief Creative Officer of Pagés BBDO.

In 2007 he won the first ever Gold and Silver Lion for the Dominican Republic and Central America at the Cannes Lions Festival; in 2008 he doubled these Lions, bringing home another Gold and Silver Lion and two additional Bronze Lions. In 2012 he won his 12th Lion at Cannes. In the last five years has won ten Grand Prix awards at international festivals.

With over 300 awards in local and international advertising festivals he has been placed among the most awarded creatives in Latin America. His most important awards include festivals such as The One Show, Clio, FIAP, El Ojo de Iberoamérica, El Sol, Festival of Antigua, London Festival, Copy Writters and Art Directors Club of Dominican Republic, Caribbean Festival, Wave, Volcan, The Cup and the Cannes Festival.

Gustavo Lauria:
An Award for creatives
by creatives
The Vidal Partnership | CCO/Managing Partner

""Esta segunda edición del U.S.H Idea Award reafirma que creamos un premio que crece y evolución a de la misma forma que lo hace nuestro mercado."

Ulises Valencia
Founder | GroupW

Ulises founded GrupoW in 1999 with partner Miguel Calderon in Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico. GrupoW soon attracted a lot of attention and quickly expanded from being a local agency, to a fully-fledged national agency within two years. Winning festival awards played a significant part in engaging with the interactive market; GrupoW was the proud recipient of the FIAP in Argentina, Clio in USA, Cannes in France, London Festival, NY Festival, Ojo de Iberoamerica, and Sol de San Sebastian in Spain, amongst others. GrupoW jumped to the international market when Nike gave them a project in 2004 to launch a new clothes line for Latin America. Since 2008, GrupoW is part of SoDA: The Society of Digital Agencies; serving as a voice for digital marketing professionals worldwide with a mission to advance the industry through best practice, education, and advocacy. According to the Gunn Report, in 2008 GrupoW was ranked fourth globally for creative festival performance. Today, GrupoW employs fifty people with offices in Saltillo Coahuila, and Mexico City.

Claudio Vera:
A Historical Moment
for Our Industry
Casanova Pendrill | Creative Director

After one year as Vice President of the Círculo Creativo and an active participant in the development of the U.S.H. Idea Awards, Claudio Vera assumed officially the Presidency of the Círculo Creativo in the United States in 2012.

With over 18 years of experience in advertising and almost ten in the Hispanic Market, Claudio Vera is a Creative Director at Casanova Pendrill/McCann Erickson/IPG, one of the pioneers in this industry. He developed his career in Argentina at distinguished agencies such as Leo Burnett among others. In 2003 Concept Café recruited him as its Creative Director for their agency in Miami. From there Vera went to Zubi and in August 2005 joined Casanova Pendrill, where he has successfully handled the creative efforts of Xbox, UNICEF, Nestlé, Discovery Channel, and General Mills among others. He has obtained over 80 awards and distinctions at international level in the most prestigious advertising festivals as Cannes, New York Festival, London Festival, The Art Directors Club of Los Angeles and FIAP.