Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Guide to the Sosa, Bromley and Aguilar and Associates Records

Summary

Collection ID:
NMAH.AC.1351
Creators:
Procter & Gamble Company
Mars, Incorporated
Sosa, Lionel
Sosa, Bromley and Aguilar and Associates (San Antonio, Texas)
American Airlines
Aguilar, Adolfo
Burger King Corporation
Coca-Cola Company
Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
Bromley, Ernest W.
Dates:
1981-1997
Languages:
Collection is predominantly in
English
with significant material in
Spanish
and very few materials in
Portuguese
. Advertisements containing
Spanish
have
English
translations available in the finding aid. However, newspaper and magazine articles in
Spanish
do not have translations. Most of the audiovisual material is in
Spanish
or bilingual
English
/Spanish. Some audiovisual material is subtitled or dubbed in
English
.
Physical Description:
14 Cubic feet
31 boxes and 1 map folder
Repository:
The collection documents the work of the Sosa, Bromley and Aguilar and Associates advertising agency of San Antonio, Texas.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The collection documents the work of the Sosa, Bromley and Aguilar and Associates advertising agency of San Antonio, Texas. They created advertising for large corporations such as Western Union, American Airlines, Coca-Cola, Mars, Procter and Gamble, Anheuser-Busch, and Burger King. Additionally, they worked on political campaigns for Republican candidates including George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan. Works created for local institutions such as the San Antonio Symphony and Incarnate Word High School are also represented in the collection. Sosa, Bromley and Aguilar were pioneers in developing advertising strategies to appeal to Latino consumers.
This collection includes internal corporate documentation such as awards, financial reports, marketing strategies, advertisement samples and newsletters, as well as newspaper and magazine articles. The majority of the collection consists of audiovisual materials in D2, BetacamSP, 3/4" U-Matic and 1" videotape formats. The audiovisual materials contain commercials, casting calls/auditions, director reels, public service announcements, focus groups sessions and more. Six hours of oral histories with the principals and transcriptions of the interviews are also included in the collection. Prominent sections of the collection include advertisements created for the Center for Disease Control to address misconceptions about AIDS in Latino communities, as well as photographs, an audiocassette, and public service announcements pertaining to the life and death of singer Selena Quintanilla-Pérez.

Arrangement

Arrangement
This collection is divided into five series:
Series 1: Background Materials, 1980-2015
Series 2: Financial Materials, 1983-1989
Series 3: Clippings, 1988-1999
Series 4: Advertisements, 1988-1995
Series 5: Audiovisual Materials, 1988-1997

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Lionel Sosa (b. 1939) is from San Antonio, Texas and is of Mexican descent. His first venture as an entrepreneur was starting a graphic design studio called Sosart which later developed into an advertising agency. Ernest Bromley (b.1951), of Puerto Rican and Canadian descent, joined the company in 1981 while employed at the University of Texas, San Antonio as a researcher. Bromley's background in acculturation, advertising and consumer research provided a unique perspective for the newly developed Sosa and Associates. Adolfo "Al" Aguilar (b. 1955), also of Mexican descent, studied advertising and marketing at the University of Texas, Austin. Aguilar worked for Coca-Cola's first Hispanic Marketing Department when he began meeting with Sosa and Bromley. Eventually, Aguilar helped bring the Coca-Cola account to Sosa Bromley and Associates. This successful transfer ultimately led to the development of Sosa, Bromley and Aguilar and Associates.

Administration

Author
Sandy Enriquez
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated to the Archives Center in 2015, by Lionel Sosa, Ernest Bromley and Adolfo Aguilar.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Sandy Enriquez, Latino Museum Studies Fellow Summer 2018, under the supervision of Alison Oswald.
Separated Materials
Items relating to this collection were donated to the Division of Numismatics and Division of Work and Industry. See accessions: 2002.0007.0517 (Tetradrachm coin); 2015.0080.01 (1988 Clio Award Trophy Hispanic Advertising AIDS Campaign); 2015.0080.02 (Promotional Mug); 2015.0080.05 (Promotional Watch); 2016.3049.02 (1993 Clio Award for Hispanic Market Coca Cola Classic); 2015.0080.06 (1990 Adweek Plaque); 2015.0080.03 (1995 Selena Commemorative Pin).

Digital Content

More …

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Preferred Citation
Sosa, Bromley and Aguilar and Associates Records, 1981-1997, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Conditions Governing Use
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Related Materials
Materials in the Archives Center:
López Negrete Communications Advertising Collection (NMAH.AC.1413)
Hector and Norma Orcí Advertising Agency Records (NMAH.AC.1384)
Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies Collection (NMAH.AC.1343)
Dolores Valdes-Zacky Papers (NMAH.AC.1394)
Castor Advertising Corporation Collection (NMAH.AC.1461)
Spanish Language Television Collection (NMAH.AC.1404)
Goya Foods, Inc. Collection, 1960-2000 (NMAH.AC.0694)

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Oral history Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Newsletters Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Marketing records Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ephemera -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Advertising campaigns Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Advertising agencies -- 1980-2000 Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Advertising executives Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
advertising -- Soft drinks Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
advertising -- Food Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
advertising -- Confectionery Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
advertising -- Beverages Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
advertising -- Brand name products Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
advertising -- Audio-visual materials Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
advertising -- Alcoholic beverages Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
advertising -- 1980-2000 Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
advertising -- Airlines Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Minorities in advertising Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Texas -- 20th century Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Television advertising -- 1980-2000 Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin -- 1980-2000 Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
San Antonio (Tex.) Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Commercials Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Awards Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Advertisements -- 1980-2000 Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ledgers (account books) Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Articles -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Magazines (periodicals) -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
advertising -- History Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

Archives Center, National Museum of American History
P.O. Box 37012
Suite 1100, MRC 601
Washington, D.C. 20013-7012
archivescenter@si.edu