Avocados from Peru gets ready to roar with summer promotions

Avocados from Peru will generate the lion’s share of excitement for the avocado category this summer via one-of-a-kind promotions, including a partnership with the Detroit Tigers, one of the hottest teams in Major League Baseball.

Xavier Equihua, president and chief executive officer of the Peruvian Avocado Commission, said this year’s program includes a trifecta of events that incorporates classic tactics and experiential marketing.

The promotional events kicked off, quite fittingly, on Cinco de Mayo with the first-ever Guacamole Challenge at SeaWorld San Diego, where three amateur chefs selected from hundreds of entries pitted their own guacamole recipes against each other for the chance of capturing the coveted Silver Avocado trophy.

The challenge was held in conjunction with Viva La Musica and So-Cal Taco Festival – Southern California’s largest Latino music festival, which was an especially poignant aspect of the promotion, according to Equihua.

“Viva La Musica is one of the most vibrant cultural festivals in Southern California, and it allowed us to connect with consumers in a truly meaningful way,” he said.

The guacamole challenge also was a boost for retail partner Grocery Outlet, which operates more than 400 stores that draw in excess of 1.5 million weekly shoppers.

“Cinco de Mayo is a key cultural moment for our customers, and this event gave us the opportunity to celebrate in-store and on-site alongside Avocados from Peru,” said Wendi Rothchild, director of marketing for Grocery Outlet. “It’s exciting to partner on campaigns that not only engage our shoppers but also spotlight quality, seasonal products like Peruvian avocados.”

Fleet Week superfood breakfast
To kick off Memorial Day weekend, AFP hosted an avocado-inspired superfood breakfast for the brave men and women who serve in the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marines and U.S. Coast Guard.

Held aboard the USS New York during New York City’s famed Fleet Week, the breakfast featured Peruvian avocado eggs and smoothies that were prepared by Chef Mario Lanzone of the Peruvian Brothers restaurants and food trucks.

Equihua said AFP was honored to serve the men and women of the U.S. armed forces during a time when the nation remembers the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice.

He added that while AFP has been involved in similar Fleet Week events in the past, this year stood out for several reasons.

First, the USS New York contains more than seven tons of steel from the ruins of the World Trade Center, and the ship was named to honor the resilience of the city following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Also, the USS New York, an amphibious attack ship, was smaller in comparison to the USS Bataan, an aircraft carrier that hosted previous AFP events held during Fleet Week. Thus, there was a more intimate feel to this year’s breakfast.

Finally, Equihua said the bi-national spirit was fully embraced during this year’s event, as Peruvian avocado dishes and drinks prepared by the Peruvian Brothers chefs were featured in a breakfast served to U.S. servicemembers aboard a U.S. Navy ship.

“It was a form of culinary diplomacy that underscores the strong ties between the two nations and celebrates the avocado as a unifying element of the relationship,” he said. “No other origin does anything even remotely similar to this.”

AFP and America’s favorite pastime
Sports and sporting events have long been key elements of AFP’s promotional plans, and 2025 will be no different.

“Sports are an important part of our campaigns because they inspire people to stay active, maintain a healthy diet and lead an overall healthy lifestyle,” said Equihua. “If you don’t stay active, you can’t live a healthy and happy life, and avocados are a perfect complement for that message.”

He said that while other origins tap into the sports world for promotions, Peru takes a different tack.

“While others promote just guacamole, we like to go deeper to tell the story about why avocados are good for you,” said Equihua. “We’re much more broad in our approach in promoting the importance of avocados in eating healthy and living green.”

For this year’s sports-related promotion, AFP is teaming up with the Detroit Tigers and Meijer supermarkets on a sweepstakes giveaway of a custom-wrapped Avo Tigers Chevy Silverado pickup truck, which is adorned with the colors and style of the Tigers, along with the logos of AFP and Meijer.

The sweepstakes kicked off June 6 and runs through Labor Day, with the car presentation to the grand prize winner happening Sept. 21 on Fan Appreciation Day.

The sweepstakes is open to all and will be promoted on social media, web, email, in-stadium, in-supermarket and other off-site promotions.

“We will have three finalists who will attend the game on September 21,” said Equihua. “Each finalist will receive a key fob and only one will open the Avo Chevy, and that will be the grand prize winner. The two runners-up will each receive a VIP Tigers Experience and a $2,000 Meijer gift card.”

Equihua said that AFP carefully curates its partnerships to be sure philosophies align, and this year looks to be a home run.

“Chevy is a classic American car company and Detroit is the birthplace of the automobile, making it an iconic U.S. city,” he said. “And so far this season, the Detroit Tigers are the hottest team in baseball!

“Meijer is always a loyal AFP customer and we have a wonderful relationship with them,” Equihua continued. “They are a terrific partner and they love doing these kind of events.”

Equihua added that as a Midwest retailer, Meijer offers a strategic advantage for AFP.

“The Midwest is a super important region for AFP as other origins never promote in this area, and therefore it is considered to be an underperforming region with a lot of growth potential,” he said. “We want to promote increased consumption in the Midwest, and what better way to do that than to partner with an iconic Midwestern retailer, an iconic U.S. car company and the hottest team in baseball that happens to be in the Midwest.”