• by Emily Burg , November 2, 2006

The Latin Grammy Awards has a blue-chip lineup of sponsors for tonight’s ceremony at Madison Square Garden, its first year in New York.</p><p>

Broadcast on Univision, Univision Online and Univision Radio, the increase in sponsors for the 7^th annual event is a reflection of the growing influence of Latin music on youth  culture. <p>

The event was marketed by NYC Marketing, which said the event’s impact means more than $30 million for New York.<p>

Other sponsors include Bally Total Fitness, Clinique, Delta, Heineken, McDonald’s, Pepsi-Cola Co., Univision Radio, Univision.com, Verizion Wireless, Wal-Mart and Washington Mutual.<p> 

“Together we have developed powerful marketing programs that celebrate the flavor and culture of the Latino community through our week-long series of events: ‘NYC Celebrates in Latin Style,’” said Jim Donofrio, svp of sales and partnership for NYC Marketing, in a statement.<p>  

Several of the companies have combined their sponsorship of the event with targeted Hispanic ad campaigns that ran in the weeks leading up to it.<p> 

Wal-Mart, the event’s exclusive retail sponsor, worked with its Hispanic agency, Lopez Negrete Communications, on a campaign called “Tu mundo. Tu musica,” (your world, your music) to promote the sale of Latin music CDs in its stores.<p>

It also ran 30-second TV spots directed by last year’s Grammy winner for best music video, Gustavo Garzon, which featured such Grammy-nominated songs as Shakira’s “Hips Don’t Lie.”  Shakira is up for five awards this year.<p> 

Verizon Wireless sponsored a promotion to attend the Grammy ceremony in New York. It also sponsored street parties throughout October in cities with large Latino populations, at which Washington Mutual had a “WaMu DJ” booth.<p>

This is Heineken’s seventh consecutive year as the official beer and malt beverage sponsor of the event.  Heineken will honor Ricky Martin, the 2006 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year, as well as host the After Party, and sponsor the “Heineken Green Carpet,” arrivals at the telecast. In advance of the show, the company ran a sweepstakes called “Spin @ the Latin Grammys” that gave consumers the chance to be a guest DJ in the Heineken Lounge at the After Party.<p>

Clinique will introduce a new product, Colour Surge Butter Shine Lipstick in “Coqueta,” and is giving it out to arrival guests and featuring it at the “Clinique Happy Lounge” at the After Party.

Bally Total Fitness, Delta, Pepsi and McDonald’s all are first-time sponsors of the show, and several of them ran sweepstakes giving away trips to the event to promote their sponsorship. Additionally, McDonald’s is hosting off-site events in the New York area to support the launch of the new McDonald’s Snack Wrap.