Lionel Sosa (born May 27, 1939) is a Mexican-American advertising and marketing executive.

Biography

Sosa grew up in

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

, Texas. After graduating from Lanier High School in 1957, Sosa served in the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

. Sosa had long dreamed of being an artist and tried to join the

Walt Disney Animation Studios Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS), sometimes shortened to Disney Animation, is an American animation studio that creates animated features and short films for The Walt Disney Company. The studio's current production logo features a scene fro ...

while living in San Clemente, California. He mailed a portfolio of his work to Disney but ran low on funds and had to return to San Antonio after two months. The portfolio was mailed back with a letter stating that the company was "adequately staffed." His first real job after the Marines was for O. P. Schabel; he spent four years emptying and repainting litter cans around San Antonio and was paid $1.75 for each can. During his time with Schnabel, Sosa landed a job with Texas Neon designing neon signs, continuing his work on the litter cans on nights and weekends. Sosa opened his graphic design studio, SosArt, in 1967. Sosa entered political advertising by supporting

John Tower John Goodwin Tower (September 29, 1925 – April 5, 1991) was an American politician, serving as a Republican United States Senator from Texas from 1961 to 1985. He was the first Republican Senator elected from Texas since Reconstruction. Tower ...

. With Sosa's support, Tower won 37% of the Hispanic vote. The previous Hispanic best vote percent for a statewide republican candidate had been below 8%. The success of Sosa's agency in the Tower campaign led several national companies, including

Bacardi Bacardi Limited (; ) is one of the largest privately held, family-owned spirits companies in the world. Originally known for its Bacardi brand of white rum, it now has a portfolio of more than 200 brands and labels. Founded in Cuba in 1862 an ...

, Coors, and

Dr Pepper Dr Pepper is a carbonated soft drink. It was created in the 1880s by pharmacist Charles Alderton in Waco, Texas, and first served around 1885. Dr Pepper was first nationally marketed in the United States in 1904. It is now also sold in Euro ...

to seek his advice for reaching the Hispanic audience. In 1980 Sosa created a new Agency, Sosa and Associates (now Bromley Communications), which eventually became the largest Hispanic advertising agency in the United States. Sosa's experience with Tower led him to become active in presidential politics, serving as an adviser Republican campaigns, such as those of Ronald Reagan and

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

. Sosa was named one of the twenty five most influential Hispanics in America by ''

Time Magazine ''Time'' (stylized in all caps) is an American news magazine based in New York City. For nearly a century, it was published weekly, but starting in March 2020 it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York City on Ma ...

''. Sosa has also been named to the

Texas Business Hall of fame Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by bo ...

. In June 2016, Sosa wrote an op-ed in his hometown newspaper calling on the Republican presumptive presidential nominee

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

to apologize for his comments on Mexican immigrants. Sosa stated that it was likely that he would leave the Republican party if Trump won the nomination at the 2016 Republican National Convention. In late August 2016, Sosa joined

Gary Johnson Gary Earl Johnson (born January 1, 1953) is an American businessman, author, and politician. He served as the 29th governor of New Mexico from 1995 to 2003 as a member of the Republican Party. He was the Libertarian Party nominee for Presid ...

presidential campaign President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese fu ...

as co-chair of Hispanic outreach. Thereafter, in October 2016, Sosa changed his voting intentions to supporting

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

, as to "make a statement that Donald Trump cannot win."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sosa, Lionel 1939 births Living people American advertising executives American people of Mexican descent People from San Antonio Texas Republicans