RBD, Nostalgia, and the Power of the Latina Market

RBD, Nostalgia, and the Power of the Latina Market Soy Rebelde World Tour Mia Roberta Lupita Giovanni Diego Miguel

After being an international phenomenon from 2004 through 2009, RBD announced their separation on August 15, 2009, with a final concert held in Madrid, Spain, to a sold-out crowd of 80,000 people. Fifteen years later, they’re back again with the Soy Rebelde World Tour.


The band's highly awaited tour dates across 26 cities in North, Central, and South America beginning in August were revealed yesterday. Tickets for all dates will go on sale simultaneously on January 27 at 10 AM in the U.S. and Brazil and at 2 PM in Mexico.

The group was formed by Televisa, one of the largest media companies in the Spanish-speaking world, as part of the telenovelaRebelde.” The band initially consisted of six members: Anahí, Dulce María, Alfonso Herrera, Christopher von Uckermann, Maite Perroni, and Christian Chávez. The band gained international fame after the telenovela was exported to various countries in Latin America, as well as to Spain, the United States, and other parts of the world.

RBD released six studio albums, five live albums, twenty-four singles, and thirty-four music videos throughout their career. They had many successful songs, such as “Solo Quédate en Silencio,” “Nuestro Amor,” “Tenerte y Quererte,” “Este Corazón,” and “Ser o Parecer,” embarked on several world tours and won multiple awards, including several Latin Grammy nominations.

On December 19, 2022, they teased their upcoming reunion by posting a nostalgic video on their official IG account showing five of the six members, with iconic character Mia Colucci (played by Anahí) stating, “I dream about turning back time, and that someday everything will be as it was before.”

Although things can’t be exactly as they were before, keeping in mind that both Anahi and Dulce María are full-time moms, Alfonso Herrera will not be a part of the reunion tour because of his tight work schedule, and they all have their own successful careers and complicated professional agendas outside of the band, we’re overjoyed to see them back together again for a good dose of childhood nostalgia.

Wait… are we being nostalgia-baited?

There’s no denying that nostalgia is often a powerful motivator for purchasing behavior, especially when it comes to millennials. People often have fond memories of products, brands, or experiences from their past, evoking a sense of familiarity and connection.

In the past year, we saw this used to the fullest in the music industry. Reggaeton legend Daddy Yankee’s “La Última Vuelta Tour” in 2022 had every lover of old-school reggaeton dying to see the king himself on his last tour before retiring, making the tour an international success, coming in second to Bad Bunny’s ticket sales. Also in 2022, the “When We Were Young” (pretty on-the-nose name tbh) music festival in Las Vegas created a frenzy online, with millions of people eager to relive their emo days by listening to bands such as My Chemical Romance, Paramore, and Avril Lavigne.

This was also evident in Mexico City’s Corona Capital and Flow Fest music festivals, where artists like Don Omar and My Chemical Romance were the main headliners, both appealing to millennial nostalgia, much like RBD’s comeback.

@susie.rivera

I rubbed off on him at the end lol. If I don’t get tickets I will cry for the rest of my life!!! 😭 #rbdparasiempre #rbdworldtour #soyrebeldetour #rebeldeworldtour Soy rebelde world tour

Not surprising at all, considering millennials (people born between 1981 and 1996, though this range varies quite often) are deemed the most influential and powerful consumer group. They have surpassed the Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) as the largest generation in the U.S. labor force. In 2022, their annual purchasing power was estimated to be around $2.5 trillion. Companies are even paying close attention to how to market to Latine millennials, tapping into their strong cultural identity.

The (spending) power of Latinas

So…we have millennials and nostalgia; what if we add Latinas to the mix?

Due to our growing spending power, Latina women are quickly overtaking other consumer demographics as the majority of consumers, making us an increasingly powerful market in the United States and many other countries. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Latinx population in the United States is projected to reach 111 million by 2060, making it the largest minority group in the country.

According to some research, Latinas tend to be our households’ primary decision-makers and consumers, are more brand loyal than other groups and are more likely to recommend products to their friends and family. We also have a strong sense of cultural identity and pride and tend to prefer products and brands that reflect our culture and heritage.

Furthermore, Latina women are increasingly starting their own businesses. They are becoming an increasingly important segment of the U.S. entrepreneur population, creating countless new jobs.

Power. Houses.

This Viral Video Game Is Changing the Face of Voter Outreach

In 2024, voting campaigns have evolved greatly, to say the least. Creativity is now the name of the game and tongue-in-cheek humor is expertly leveraged to drive action. One example of that is Bop the Bigot, a revival of a viral game created in 2016 by Bazta Arpaio, an Arizona activist group, as part of a campaign to unseat Maricopa County’s Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Arpaio lost his re-election to Paul Penzone that year.

The game has now been updated for the current election cycle and relaunched by On Point Studios, with new features added to enable players to find out what’s on their ballot, confirm voter status, and register to vote.

Much like its former 2016 version, the game allows users to take out their political frustrations by virtually “bopping” GOP candidates in the head. It’s very similar to whack-a-mole, except the mole is replaced by former President Donald Trump, Ohio’s Senator J. D. Vance, and Kevin Roberts, President of the Heritage Foundation, which is spearheading Project 2025.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

B. Loewe, Director of On Point Studios, came up with the concept for this game when working as the Communications Director at Bazta Arpaio in 2016, and is the executive producer of this revamped version. In the first version of the game, Bop the Bigot players used a chancla (flip flop) to “bop” the characters, tapping into Latino culture by leaning on the childhood experience of being set right by a flying chancla from a fed-up mother or grandmother.

This year, the chancla is replaced by a more current element, a green coconut, referencing Kamala Harris’ coconut tree meme. There are also side characters like “the couch,” cat ladies, and more coconuts. All references to jokes about Vice-Presidential candidate Vance, or insults Vance has made about women on the campaign trail.

Another new addition is that Harris’ laugh is immortalized as the game-over sound effect, an unexpected detail that adds even more humor and levity to the game.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump, Kevin Roberts, and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

Bop the Bigot, which is playable on desktop and mobile, is intended not just as a way to vent political frustrations, but also as a tool for activism and securing voter engagement.

For example, the game supports the work of Mexican Neidi Dominguez Zamorano, Founding Executive Director of the non-profit organization Organized Power in Numbers by using the “game over” screen to prompt players to donate to it and support their efforts.

Organized Power in Numbers is focused on empowering workers in the South and Southwest of the U.S. through collective action and comprehensive campaigns. Their mission is to create a large-scale movement that challenges the status quo and advocates for workers' rights, and racial and economic justice.

Currently, Dominguez Zamorano is leading worker outreach to 2 million working-class voters in the South and Southwest through doorknocking, texting, and calls with the help of local groups in North Carolina, Arizona, New Mexico, and more.

“We have been blown away by the enthusiastic reception for the video game. We knew we wanted to be part of its creative approach because our movement needs more fun and laughter. We need more ways to connect with nuestra gente so we can feel joy among all the absurdity we witness every day,” Dominguez Zamorano shared with Luz Media via email.

“Our people are gente trabajadora and we deserve to feel uplifted even in our toughest moments. We are deeply involved in the South and Southwest so we know what’s at stake in this election and we’re happy this can be a resource to mobilize, raise spirits, and get out the vote," she concluded.

Dominguez Zamorano is a committed activist for immigrants and workers' rights, known for her strategist skills and expertise. She played a key role in the campaign to win DACA and has also held roles in major campaigns, including as Deputy National States Director for Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign. In addition to her work with Organized Power in Numbers, Dominguez Zamorano is serving as a Senior Advisor to Mijente’s Fuera Trump Initiative.

Grassroots efforts like these have taken on new life in 2024, with Bop the Bigot adding to the larger, ongoing fight against political apathy and disinformation. Just as it did during the 2016 race, the video game uses humor to soften the serious task at hand—getting people to the polls.

"We want the game to be a fun and comical outlet for anyone who’s been insulted, frustrated, or harmed by Trump in the past and everyone who is ready to move forward as a country after election day," explained Loewe in a press release. "The proposals in Project 2025 and the beliefs of Trump and Vance aren’t just weird, they’re truly harmful. We wanted to give people a humorous and peaceful way to smack down their racism and sexism. We hope it makes people laugh and also feel empowered and motivated to get to the polls on or before election day."

With a mix of satire, sharp political critique, and nostalgia, the game is a call to action. The upcoming election, which is getting closer by the minute, has sparked fierce activism and creative yet grounded initiatives like these aim to ensure voters are engaged, especially young Latinos and disenfranchised groups.

hands holding up yellow protest signs that say Hands Off Our Bodies
Photo Credit: Gayatri Malhotra via Unsplash

Originally published in Common Dreams. Reprinted with permission.

The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.

In November, abortion rights measures will appear on ballots across ten states, including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, and New York, where Latinos make up a significant portion of the electorate. For decades, pundits and politicians have recycled long-held misconceptions about Latino voters and abortion access, citing our conservative and religious beliefs.

Anti-abortion extremists have long fueled these misconceptions through misinformation and disinformation campaigns targeting Latino communities with egregious lies and inflammatory rhetoric about abortion. Yet, polling, focus groups, and direct interactions with Latino communities have debunked these outdated tropes.

The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.

For Latinos, the freedom to decide, a pillar of our American democracy, is critical. Meanwhile, Latinos are being hit directly with anti-abortion efforts that take away that freedom such as the six-week abortion ban put into effect by the Florida Supreme Court and the 1864 abortion ban upheld by the Arizona Supreme Court. In the wake of the Dobbs decision, people of color and Latinas have felt the impact of a lack of abortion access, an element of basic healthcare.

A 2023 report by the National Partnership for Women and Families estimated that nearly 6.5 million Latinas, or 42% of all Latinas of reproductive age in the country, live in a state that either had or was likely to ban abortion. Ironically, it will be abortion access and anti-choice efforts to restrict freedom of choice that will mobilize Latino voters this election.

In a poll conducted by three national reproductive justice organizations, 87% of Latinas named abortion and women’s rights as one of their top priorities as they head to the polls. Another battleground poll conducted by Somos PAC and BSP Research found that 61% of Latino registered voters expressed a more positive/favorable view of Kamala Harris after hearing that she will protect abortion rights, versus only 19% of Latinos who said they had a more negative view of Harris after hearing that.

In key states to secure the White House and both chambers, Latinos make up large chunks of the electorate: Arizona (25%), Colorado (15%), Florida (20%), Nevada (20%), and New York (12%). In the face of unprecedented attacks on basic healthcare access and targeted attempts by extremists to mislead and divide our community on this issue, this November Latinos will be key deciders on abortion access across the country.

Mari Urbina, Managing Director of Indivisible, Battleground Arizona Lead and former Harry Reid advisor.

Héctor Sánchez Barba is president and CEO of Mi Familia Vota (MFV).