For the Cultúra

As we enter Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM), you may have noticed a change in the colors and overall layout when navigating Amazon.com . We connected with a couple of the minds behind this year’s theme, ‘Cultúra’, to help us understand the creative vision behind the imagery used to celebrate HHM in 2022. The creative concept, ‘Cultúra’, is a campaign celebrating the individuals who move Hispanic culture forward, because without tú/you, there is no cultura.

When asked how Amazon chose this year’s featured artist, Mel Cerri, the design team mentioned they “realized that Mel’s work itself, is a vibrant combination of lettering, illustration and photography.” The team fell in love with the kaleidoscopic lens that she brings to life every time she grabs a marker and starts drawing. In a way, Mel naturally brings this creative concept to life through her work and is a great example of someone who adds her “tú” into Hispanic culture.

When considering the wide diaspora encompassed by the word ‘Hispanic’ or ‘Latino’ it can be a difficult task to find a way to bridge all the unique components into one larger picture. Mel mentioned wanting to represent the many aspects of Hispanic culture through her illustrations.

The movement of dance and rhythm through the ribbons and flags, birds, flowers and water, that are recurring themes in our cultural representations and the light and energy of the Hispanic personality through rays, rainbows and other representations of light.

Mel Cerri focused on looking at the macro view of the diaspora and worked backwards toward the final result found on the website. This speaks to how her work contributes to render a wider, more nuanced Hispanic spectrum and how her illustrations mirror the many aspects of the rich, diverse culture.

We also spent some time discussing the experience Mel had partnering with Amazon on this project. She mentioned “Amazon as a client really respected and appreciated my unique point of view and style and wanted me to be true to myself and my voice without too much interference.” She went on to describe the overall experience as a dream opportunity for illustrators to see their work show up on the global stage and have impact on so many customer and sellers.

On the topic of sellers, the theme and redesign isn’t simply an aesthetic change. As Mel stated, “Amazon made it possible for these [Hispanic] business owners to not only have a global marketplace for their products, but also to have a unique platform for their ideas, personalities, and culture.” All throughout the next month, the new layout will feature Hispanic/Latinx owned and inspired businesses and products collated and curated to make learning and supporting the Cultúra a seamless process for Amazon customers.

Head on over to Amazon.com to see Mel’s rich and vibrant illustrations take over the website and learn more about the many entrepreneurs and their services across the greater diaspora.