• by Les Luchter , 5 hours ago

“Inject me with your love like insulin,” sang Juan Luis Guerra in “La Bilirrubina,” a classic Latin pop song from 1990.

Now, the song has gone “insulin-free,” thanks to a first-time-ever partnership between the American Diabetes Association and Avocados From Mexico. 

Highlighting a campaign targeted to Hispanic Americans, the produce brand has produced a new version of “La Bilirrubina” sung by Columbian band Bomba Estéreo, replacing the old line with the words, “Inject me with your love that gives me life.”

Removing the insulin reference “was a deliberate and culturally sensitive decision,” Avocados From Mexico told Marketing Daily. “Instead of normalizing insulin as an inevitable part of life, the revised version encourages people to think earlier, act sooner and prioritize prevention through screenings and healthier habits, like incorporating avocados [‘a diabetes-friendly ingredient rich in good fats and zero sugar’] into their diets.”

Like the rest of the song, the new line is “celebratory,” the brand added, preserving “its cultural resonance” and allowing “the message to land with positivity rather than fear, broadening its reach, strengthening engagement and making diabetes prevention feel accessible and actionable for millions of Hispanic listeners.”

A targeted educational/awareness campaign surrounding the song -- which includes branded content, influencer marketing, and :30 and:60 spots running on paid digital and social (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Spotify, YouTube) -- makes sense for both Avocados From Mexico and the ADA.

For one thing, The Centers for Disease Control has estimated Hispanic adults to be 70% more likely than non-Hispanic whites to be diagnosed with diabetes.  Cut that number in half and you come up with a highly significant “35” -- representing the Hispanic proportion of Avocados From Mexico’s  U.S. customers, as well as the age which the ADA now  encourages adults to start screening for type 2 diabetes -- and also the 35th anniversary of  the original “La Bilirrubina.”

"Food is at the heart of our culture — and it can be the heart of our health, too,” declared Avocados From Mexico CEO Alvaro Luquein in a statement.  “Through our work with the ADA, we're tackling one of the biggest health issues affecting our community, diabetes, with joy, flavor and optimism .”

The campaign launched in mid-November during Diabetes Awareness Month, including a key component pushing diabetes screenings via a dedicated website at UnidosContraLaDiabetes.com that’s running for one month through Dec. 12. Until then. the brand has pledged to donate $1 to ADA – up to $35,000 -- for every 60-second Type 2 Diabetes Risk Test taken through the site.

Other campaign layers will follow, the brand said, including a shopper emphasis in March for National Nutrition Month.

Agencies contributing to the campaign include BeautifulBeast (creative), Weber Shandwick (PR),  270b (digital implementation), and Ro2 Media (media strategy), with music track production and digital assets via Mixto Entertainment Sony Music, Universal Music Publishing Group, Abrakadabra Films and Latina Studio.