d expósito & Partners: Celebrating 20 Years of Success

With a mix of joy, pride and reflection, d expósito & Partners is celebrating its 20th Anniversary. The New York-based ad agency, also known as dex, was founded in 2005, an indirect “descendant” of what had then been The Bravo Group, part of Young & Rubicam/WPP, which had been started and led by Daisy Expósito-Ulla, climbing to the top of the U.S. Hispanic Market, with until-to-this-day unmatched annualized billings of half-a- billion.

Upon Expósito-Ulla’s departure and after unburdening of her non-compete restrictions, the iconic leader, along with her life-and -business partner, award-winning filmmaker, Jorge Ulla, acquired a major stake in the recently created, CMS Partners, headed by former Bravo colleagues, Gloria Constanza, Fernando Fernández, Mary Miqueli and Catalina Saldarriaga.

“It hasn’t been easy,” commented Expósito-Ulla regarding these twenty years during which d expósito & Partners, in the words of its co-founder, “has seen the Global Financial Crisis of 2008, the Great Recession that came as its result, a War on Terror, the Housing Bubble and the Covid-19 Pandemic of 2020, to name just a few.”

However, jumping into the risky waters of commercial independence to fearlessly compete in the playground of the global conglomerates, hasn’t been in vain: dex has shattered paradigms positioning itself in an innovative space beyond the boundaries of the U.S. Hispanic Market. The agency brandishes a novel methodology inspired by Cultural Dexterity which operates on deeper cultural knowledge of the consumer; agility of action and deployment; and the expertise to harness new consumers in the cross-cultural intersections of the consumer spectrum.

Cultural Dexterity seems to be paying off for one of dex’s stellar clients. From The New York Times to FORBES, American media have paid particular attention to the Tajín phenomenon, the popularly ingrained Mexican seasoning which has seen a booming cross-over to become a lifestyle product, enthusiastically embraced by millions of American households. What with the compelling evidence of the product penetration in the coveted world of international celebs such as Selena Gomez, Dua Lipa, Simone Biles, Thalía and Bruno Mars, among others, who express their unabashed love for Tajín in their social media.

Not few in the ad industry marvel a bit at the human glue that to this day keeps together the founders of dex. Fernando Fernández, at the helm of the Tajín success story, as well as other clients; Gloria Constanza, the Media guru, who was elevated to the Hall of Fame of the Hispanic Marketing Council (HMC); John Ross, the ‘americano” who honed his financial skills at a global company, landed at Bravo and is today’s dex CFO; Louis Maldonado, a Strategist who combines client services with a strong presence in academic and industry circles sharing dex’s thought leadership while playing a community role in the organization of New York’s emblematic National Puerto Rican Day Parade.

With its commercial sobriquet, The New American Agency, d expósito & Partners and its leadership, have enjoyed recognition: In 2018, the prestigious American Advertising Federation (AAF) inducted Daisy into its coveted AAF’s Hall of Fame and, additionally, bestowed on her its David Bell Award “for remarkable contributions to the American Advertising Industry.”

Brands such as McDonald’s, NIELSEN, Café Santo Domingo and the City of New York form part of the dex busy roster whose main goal is to bring brands closer to consumers for empathetic connections and success. AARP, for example, as a result of its creative work, and growth, deserved HMC’s Marketer of the Year. The story of these twenty years can be told through some of this ample array of recognition: EFFIE;ADCOLOR; CLIO;TELLY; David Ogilvy Awards, for marketing results; Ojo de Iberoamerica for Best Independent Agency; Agency of the Year from the prestigious American Educational Foundation (AEF), the first time to fall on a multicultural agency; and, more recently, Gold Award for Best ‘Purpose-led’ Campaign of the year, for Point32Health, at the 2024 Healthcare Marketing “Impact Awards,” co-sponsored by Ad Age.

Besides being regarded as “Architects of Multicultural Advertising,” and some of its most ardent advocates, being ingrained in the community is of paramount importance to them. “We feel and belong in the community and are resolvedly involved in their causes and initiatives,” says Expósito-Ulla. “We would not exist without our community—our communities! — they are like the lungs of an ad agency.” dex supports programs and initiatives from Comunilife’s efforts to detect and prevent suicide among young Latinas, to the National Puerto Rican Day Parade for which they created its logo and some of its Emmy  winning imagery and content. During the twenty years dex is celebrating, the independent, minority-owned agency has donated upwards of one million dollars to a prism of ambitious human causes and initiatives, as well as mentoring and scholarships. Last June, Repertorio Español, arguably the most respected Hispanic-based theatrical organization in America, dedicated its annual gala in honor of Daisy Expósito-Ulla and her partner Jorge Ulla.

Last year, in an unexpected twist, the agency moved its New York headquarters to the symbolic Madison Avenue, announcing it widely with a clever campaign that referred to the successful television series MAD MEN. To reinforce “the move” and remind brands of the drastic demographic revolution brought on by diverse consumers, the campaign emphasized the agency’s moniker – The New American Agency.

To celebrate its 20th year, dex gathered nearly a hundred guests at the legendary Victor’s Café under the slogan “Let’s dex!” The encounter, which some attendees described as a “class reunion,” was a mix of today “dexers” and former members and executives from yesteryear, together to re-connect, chat and celebrate the unique joy and “madness” of multicultural advertising. After drinks, and tasty hors d’oeuvres at Victor’s, the cheerful entourage made its way to Broadway to catch the rhythms of Buena Vista Social Club-The Musical, a gift of acknowledgment from dex “to those who have made it possible for the agency to get this far!”
“Doing it with soul, highlighting the value of our culture every now and then, and breaking some molds here and there, is part of what we do!,” concluded Expósito-Ulla.