Florida’s Historic Coast serves as the epicenter of Florida’s 500th anniversary celebrations in 2013; commemorating the year that a Spaniard traveling from Puerto Rico came to the shores of present day Florida declaring the land “La Florida” for the king and queen of Spain.
The story of the brave, adventurous spirit that brought Juan Ponce de Leon to the Florida shore in 1513 will serve as the cornerstone of St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches Visitors and Convention Bureau‘s new Hispanic marketing campaign.
The new campaign, themed “Vuelve a Donde Nacio Nuestro Espiritu,” links the spirit that brought Ponce de Leon to La Florida 500 years ago with the spirit that is embodied in the unique personality traits of the U.S. Hispanic today.
“From the first-generation U.S. Hispanic who decided to make a better future in the United States to the third generation Hispanic who is here because of the enduring spirit of their parents or grandparents, the campaign recognizes that the spirit of the U.S. Hispanic began in historic St. Augustine,” said Richard Goldman, executive director at the Visitors & Convention Bureau. “St. Augustine is the oldest, continually occupied settlement in the United States, founded by another Spaniard, Pedro Menendez de Aviles, in 1565. This campaign serves as an opportunity to acknowledge the impact Hispanics have made to our nation’s history, and to the history of St. Augustine, not only recently but for 500 years.”
The campaign, created by Bauzá & Associates, consists of culturally-relevant creative, public relations, social media, and other efforts throughout the region and key national locations.
“The story of the Hispanic influence in the United States since Ponce de Leon arrived 500 years ago is a story that Hispanics and non-Hispanics need to be aware of, because it is our story,” said Wilson Camelo, chief marketing officer for Bauza & Associates. “That story began in Florida with Ponce de Leon’s discovery and in St. Augustine, with Pedro Menendez’s founding of the city. This makes Florida’s Historic Coast a ‘must visit’ location for Hispanic travelers to return to where this spirit was born.
“From the first-generation U.S. Hispanic who decided to make a better future in the United States… the campaign recognizes that the spirit of the U.S. Hispanic began in historic St. Augustine,[sic]”- Goldman
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The spirit began in St. Augustine? Chorizo de poca monta… That spirit began elsewhere, in the Americas that surround the U.S.; where everyone’s Hispanic roots, language and culture comes from and later populated the city of St. Augustine and other parts of the U.S.
“…to make a better future in the United States”? Are we really that subservient? Hispanics had a good future in St. Augustine before we had to come to the U.S.- all the way up to 1763 when international treaty moved many of those inhabitants to other parts of the Americas.
This person from the convention bureau is a marketer, not a historian. He does not know or our history, the one he markets in St. Augustine nor even bids to respect it. Instead of bullying his idea of history and brand around North America he should go and learn it first.
This person already went on record -as example- to state that his mission is to “own Ponce”. NOBODY owns history, not him nor I. Everyone brings a piece of that history to light because our grandparents and parents that passed it on to us. It does not exist to manipulate it “in the minds of both media and consumers” (as he stated). Leave us Hispanics to tell our own story!!!
I do hope the Bauza group keeps this in mind as they do their tasks. Yes, it is our story, actually everyone’s story. But only if we are allowed to tell it and not be required to be associated with St. Augustine in order to do so.