-By Della de Lafuente

NEW YORK Mexican brand Tecate Light this week will embark on a dual English-Spanish multimedia strategy targeting U.S.-born Hispanic males.

This will be the first time Tecate Light, imported by Heineken USA, White Plains, N.Y., has executed an Hispanic-targeted effort in English, eschewing the traditional belief that all marketing created for a U.S. Latino audience must employ only Spanish messaging.

"The U.S.-born first or second generation [consumer] is more likely to have an American lifestyle, so they're more in tune with U.S. beer and the light beer category," said Carlos Boughton, Tecate Light's brand director, describing the dual market strategy as "two campaigns under one concept."

MDC Partners' Adrenalina, New York, handled the creative effort, the first Tecate Light campaign for the Hispanic agency since winning the account in November 2007. MediaVest, New York, managed the Hispanic-targeted English and Spanish media buy.

Boughton said ad spend will increase by as much as 15 percent following unsuccessful attempts in 1991 and in 2001 to launch the brand domestically. Tecate Light spent nearly $3 million on Hispanic spot radio in 2007, per Nielsen Monitor-Plus.

Two of four planned TV spots, one in English ("Cell Phone") and one in Spanish ("Papas"), will break today (June 30) in English on network and cable TV in major Hispanic markets in San Antonio; Phoenix and Tucson, Ariz.; and Albuquerque, N.M.

Spanish creative also debuts via Univision, Telemundo, TeleFutura and three independents in 11 major Hispanic markets. Support includes print, radio, outdoor and POP in English and Spanish.

The tag: "For those who want more." ("Por los que quieren mas," is being positioned as a line extension of the popular Tecate brand and its tag, "Tecate. Con caracter" ("Tecate, With character").

The English creative introduces Tecate Light consumers to a male character -- the strong Mexican man -- who is expected to have a recurring role as the brew's "flavor conscience." He is a "man's man" on a mission to ensure that uninitiated U.S.-born Hispanics make the right choice when it comes to drinking a light beer that embodies the boldness of Mexico and has the flavor of cerveza.

In the English-language spot, "Cell Phone," a man sitting in a crowded restaurant is speaking loudly into his mobile phone while drinking a generic light beer. The Mexican man character walks in and reprimands the loud talker for his bad habit, and then invites him to try a Tecate Light.

A humorous Spanish spot, "Papas," ("Parents"), sees a couple in Mexico lamenting their son, who upon moving to the U.S. was transformed from a full-flavored cerveza drinker into a domestic light beer drinker.