
Ricardo Aspiazu
Verizon’s strategic brand vision is sharply focused on amplifying its message through culture, sports, and music. Ricardo Aspiazu, Senior VP of Creative Design and Brand at Verizon, emphasizes that the company is moving away from the concept of a traditional “advertising campaign” to center on authentic, collaborative connection with consumers, particularly the Latino community.
“The most important thing is having a brand that’s flexible and adaptable to cultural moments,” says Aspiazu. “We are focusing our most important moments on two crucial pillars to connect with the culture: sports and music. We know the Latino community lives for soccer and lives for music.”
Connecting Through Unrivaled Experiences
To forge new connections, Verizon launched Verizon Ultimate Access to the FIFA World Cup 26, a massive program leveraging the tournament’s celebration in the U.S. The company has enlisted David Beckham to promote a connection experience that goes beyond the screen.
“When the FIFA World Cup came to the U.S., and it’s being played in stadiums where we have superior network connections to any other competitor, it was impossible not to offer an unparalleled experience,” explains Aspiazu.
Verizon is not just offering customers thousands of tickets, but also “hundreds of accesses to the field while the match is happening.” Aspiazu emphasizes that the brand’s promise is twofold: “It’s not just what you experience inside the stadium, but what you experience inside the stadium because of everything the connection serves.” The message is clear: “There is no way you can miss the match with Verizon. The signal is unparalleled.”
The partnership with global superstar Maluma for the new iPhone 17 Pro campaign underscores Verizon’s commitment to world-recognized talent that resonates with the Latino consumer, who “navigates between multiple cultures.”
“We’re not working with Maluma and telling him to dress up as Santa Claus,” Aspiazu jokes, but rather seeking “authenticity” and “creative collaboration.”
The Maluma campaign exemplifies Verizon’s new General Market strategy, breaking down traditional media barriers. “We’ve broken some of the rules and are speaking with our broadcast partners,” says Aspiazu, detailing that the commercial will be aired in Spanish, with subtitles, on outlets that traditionally only accepted English-language communication. “We want to amplify this message in non-traditional ways.”
The Verizon executive notes that the measurement of creative success has rapidly evolved with technology. While the company maintains its internal monthly metrics, the immediacy of social platforms allows for near-instant feedback.
“A campaign that perhaps took a very long time to get results, now within minutes and seconds, you already know the reception and the resonance of the campaign,” Aspiazu explains. “We are interested in knowing that the brand is a brand that is constantly well-received and has great reception in everything we do on a daily basis.”