Western Union Honors Los Angeles Hispanic Community, Unveils Artistic Mural

Western Union, a leading provider of global money transfer services, is taking Los Angeles by storm this holiday season. During this festive time of year, Western Union is launching an unprecedented initiative here to give back to the Hispanic community, by unveiling a massive artistic mural in Plaza Mexico, hosting free financial literacy seminars and joining forces with beloved Hispanic celebrity Ana Maria Canseco to celebrate the season with a new outreach campaign throughout Los Angeles.

A Mexican immigrant herself, Ana Maria exemplifies Western Union’s promise during the holidays: to unite friends and families and inspire possibilities. As national spokesperson, she will visit Los Angeles where she began her career to host several Western Union activities and personally interact with the Hispanic community.

“I am the Hispanic community, and the truth is that Western Union offers us a vital service to connect with our friends and families through the gift of cash, now more than ever during the holidays,” said Ana Maria Canseco. “It is very rewarding for me to have the opportunity to get this close to our people through this initiative. These are trying times, and with the holidays around the corner, there is no better gift than to send cash with Western Union.”

“We’re thrilled to have Ana Maria as our spokesperson for Western Union as she has lived the experience of what it is to realize the American dream, having migrated to the U.S. from Mexico as a young girl, while leaving her family back home. Like many of our consumers, she knows first hand the importance of hard work and of relying on a strong family, and we recognize that millions of Hispanics share those same values,” said Juan Pablo Valdes, senior marketing director for Western Union.

To launch this holiday campaign, Western Union is integrating its national program called Proyecto Raices which celebrates Hispanic heritage and honors Hispanic roots, by unveiling its third national artistic mural in Los Angeles. This nationwide community program consists of the creative development, production, and installment of artistic murals in cities with rich cultural diversity, and is designed to unite local communities, connect a nation and inspire progress. The murals, produced by acclaimed artist Rudy Gutierrez, have already been presented to the communities of Homestead, Florida, and Dallas, Texas. Western Union will unveil this next mural in Los AngelesDecember 4 in Plaza Mexico.

“Western Union is committed to the communities it serves. We hope these programs will serve as an inspirational reminder of the beauty and diversity of our culture for generations to come,” said Valdes.

To help Hispanics during these uncertain economic times, Western Union has also partnered with organizations such as CHIRLA and El Rescate to offer free financial literacy seminars by enlisting the support of Rudy Ruiz, a Hispanic advocate and entrepreneur, to lead these robust sessions and educate participants on the importance of financial awareness and planning. The seminars began in October and will continue through next year.

Reaching the Consumer in a Unique Way

Western Union recently commissioned a survey that found that 56 percent of participants prefer to receive cash for this holiday season over any other gift. By establishing that “Cash is the Perfect Gift” for consumers, Western Union will also have events and surprises for the public in several events where it will be giving the gift of cash.

The company will also employ a non-traditional approach to marketing and advertising. Street teams will be teeming throughout the city of Los Angeles, primarily in areas such as Plaza de Mexico where the company’s grassroots community efforts will come to life through walking billboards and mobile ads on motorcycles and other innovative communication platforms.

Additionally, Western Union will be promoting its Western Union(R) Gold Card program, which offers consumers rewards, convenience and savings. Gold Card holders earn rewards points that can be redeemed for service fee reductions on future qualifying transactions or a selection of gift cards and merchandise. Enrollment is free and may be done over the telephone or at participating Agent locations.

For more information on Western Union’s efforts this holiday season, please log on to www.westernunionperfectgift.com.”

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