• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, September 12, 2011

NBC Universal's cross-platform sales initiative focusing on the Hispanic audience has inked its first deal, an agreement with State Farm rooted in this week's Alma Awards broadcast on NBC. The insurer's involvement stretches from ads in the show to tune-in spots on the Style network to ads in English and Spanish on Telemundo.com.

"Hispanics at NBCU" was formed in the spring, looking to offer advertisers a chance to reach Hispanic audiences through multiple NBCU properties, stretching beyond just the Telemundo group.

NBCU says its properties can reach 93% of the U.S. Hispanic audience.

The Alma Awards, backed by the National Council of La Raza public-interest organization, had been on ABC, but were canceled last year. NBC picked them up this summer as new parent Comcast looks to renew emphasis on Hispanic programming.

PepsiCo signed on as a top-line sponsor, with George Lopez and Eva Longoria hosting the ceremony honoring the best in entertainment among Latinos. The event takes place Friday at 8 p.m. with September Hispanic Heritage month.

State Farm's ads will also run during mun2's rebroadcast of the event. Interstitials congratulating winners will run on E! and sponsored segments will air on a Telemundo morning show.

Tim Van Hoof, advertising director at State Farm, stated that the insurer has made efforts to reach different types of Hispanic consumers with creative that employs "cues like casting, music, situations, and language -- a bilingual family, for example -- to nuance and gear the delivery towards more and less acculturated Hispanics."