• by Larissa Faw , March 7, 2014

Last year it was Enrique Iglesias. This year, Dr Pepper Snapple Group is aligning with electronic dance music DJ Tiesto, via a campaign crafted by Deutsch LA as the beverage brand tries to reach Hispanics through the music they love. It’s Deutsch LA’s first work for the client since acquiring the account last year.

Research shows that Hispanics represent opportunity for soda makers. Some 46% of Hispanics drink regular soda, compared to 32% of American adults, according to Gallup. It is these soda drinkers, particularly millennials, who are changing the industry.

Younger Hispanics are less likely to consume traditional flavors, particularly regular and diet soda, and more likely to drink lemon-lime and fruit punch flavors.

Now, Sierra Mist and Sprite currently rank higher among Hispanic families than 7Up. As such, Dr Pepper Snapple Group and creative agency Deutsch LA hope their new #7 x 7Up campaign will help the soft drink boost its market share.

The #7 x 7Up campaign showcases seven electronic dance music artists, with DJ Tiesto up first in "Light It Up." In order to film the ad, crews rewired a village in Valparaiso, Chile to "light it up." They built a performance space tlater donated to the village as a park. Tiesto played for three consecutive nights, performing even when the cameras weren’t rolling, say company executives. The hillside village in Chile was selected, in part, because the location sparked many Latinos’ memories of visiting their families.

Essentially, these spots are a series of concerts that are then turned into TV commercials. LA-based Smuggler handled production, Santa Monica-based A52 was responsible for visual effects, and audio post was performed by Santa Monica-based Lime Studios. The ads will debut on digital channels, including Vevo, YouTube, and Machinima, and will later air on TV. #7 x 7Up will also include product sampling at key EDM music festivals later this year.

The campaign was developed by Deutsch's newly launched DLAtino, a multicultural marketing practice that identifies and reacts to Hispanics' preferences and cultural habits. For instance, the ad is in English, not Spanish.

Increasingly, Latino consumers are watching their content in English, so marketing to them isn’t just about language, it’s about culture, say company executives. Also, Tiesto isn’t Hispanic, but Deutsch's research learned that he’s by far the most popular EDM artist among Latino audiences.

Dr Pepper Snapple Group projects marketing spend at 7.5% of net sales in 2014, down from 8% from marketing spend in 2013. Since the company went public in 2008, the beverage conglomerate has increased its market investments by $125 million or 35%, according to financial filings.