Peruvian avocado is being promoted in American football
Peruvian Avocado Commission joins the NFL's Colts and Meijer to position Peruvian avocados in the United States market.
The Peruvian Avocado Commission (PAC), through its promotional brand Avocados From Peru, has partnered with the Indianapolis Colts, an American football team, and the Meijer retail chain, for a seasonal campaign that seeks to expand the presence of Peruvian avocados in a United States market where, according to the organization itself, avocado promotions have historically been scarce.
Why the Midwest
Xavier Equihua, president and CEO of Avocados From Peru, was explicit about the business logic behind the alliance: Indiana represents a growth opportunity because local consumers have had little exposure to avocado campaigns compared to other regions of the U.S. The strategy is clear—to build a consumption habit by associating avocados and guacamole with a culturally significant event like the NFL season, in a market with less saturation of competing messages.
For PAC, which represents Peruvian producers, exporters, and US importers under the USDA's federal marketing program, this type of action is part of a demand expansion strategy that goes beyond the specific campaign: it's about opening up a category in territories where per capita avocado consumption still has room to grow.
The mechanics of the campaign
The activation—dubbed AVO-Colts Sweepstakes—will run until October 5, 2026. Fans can register for a chance to win a customized Toyota Tacoma, a $2,000 Meijer gift card, or a VIP experience with the Colts. Three semifinalists will be invited to Lucas Oil Stadium on October 18, during the game against the Tennessee Titans, to compete in a live challenge to determine who wins the truck.
The reading for the commercial chain
For Meijer, a business partner of the Colts, the alliance is a way to strengthen ties with its customers in the fresh produce category during the peak consumption season associated with sporting events. For PAC, it's a long-term investment in building a brand of origin: positioning "Peruvian avocados" as a benchmark of quality in a market where it competes with Mexican products, which dominate the total volume imported by the United States.
These types of demand generation campaigns—funded with marketing order funds—are a variable that exporters and traders usually follow closely: promotional spending in under-penetrated markets tends to anticipate movements in the mix of origins that supplies specific regions of the US in the following season.
