Valuable Lessons From Día de los Muertos Ad Campaigns

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is quickly becoming one of the most celebrated Mexican holidays in the United States. For brands, it represents the chance to communicate with the Hispanic consumer in a genuine way.

Finding the right balance between celebrating a highly spiritual holiday with deep-rooted traditions while marketing products can be tricky. Push the product too hard and you risk alienating the Hispanic consumers and even getting some unwanted backlash. Fortunately, there are brands that are doing it right. The following are some of the lessons learned from brands leveraging Día de los Muertos the right way.

Lesson #1: Let iconic imagery be the focus

Example:  CHI Hair Products

CHI Hair Products created a Día de los Muertos social media campaign across their Spanish language Facebook, Instagram and Twitter channels. The campaign featured pictures of four different women with the typical Día de los Muertos makeup, flowers decorating their hair, and the phrase “Celebrando la Tradición” (“Celebrating the Tradition”) in both English and Spanish. A simple status update asked the audience to use CHI hair products to get ready for the holiday.

CHI found an effective way of celebrating the holiday by allowing the iconic Catrina makeup, hair and flowers take center stage. Their logo in the bottom corner is small, allowing the focus to be on the traditions rather than the product.

Lesson #2: Incorporate your product naturally

Example: Veuve Clicquot and Make Up For Ever

The French champagne Veuve Clicquot partnered with the makeup line Make Up For Ever to create a campaign featured on the drink’s website and social media channels. The campaign consists of multiple images featuring beautiful tablescapes with traditional Mexican dishes paired with the champagne. Some images show female hands painted with the colors and themes of the holiday, while others show women with the traditional Catrina makeup, followed by a tutorial on how to achieve that look.

While you typically don’t think of champagne when you think about Día de los Muertos, Veuve Clicquot and Make Up For Ever found the perfect balance by effectively blending in their brand within a Día de los Muertos context. And since Día de los Muertos is about honoring the life of those passed, what better way to celebrate than with traditional and colorful makeup, authentic dishes and champagne.

Lesson #3: Educate when necessary

Example: Cacique

While a lot of people know what Día de los Muertos is, many still don’t understand the tradition; that is why Cacique devoted a section of their website to explain the holiday’s significance. The section explored the history and traditions of the holiday, and offered consumers recipes to celebrate the occasion.

Cacique took it a step further by explaining the history of the holiday and its meaning and symbolism. In the celebration section, they introduce authentic recipes we use to honor loved ones, including their products as an ingredient. With this type of campaign, Cacique demonstrates how well they know their consumers and gives those who are not Hispanic an important lesson on culture.