The Global Shrimp Council (GSC) launched its first global shrimp marketing effort at 2025 Seafood Expo North America (SENA) in Boston, Massachussetts, U.S.A., unveiling its Happy Protein campaign.
The GSC, an independent, pre-competitive non-profit organization for shrimp industry stakeholders, hired Miguel Barcenas, architect of the Avocados from Mexico campaign, to mastermind the design of its new marketing strategy, which brands shrimp as "the Happy Protein." The campaign’s goals are simple and strategic; It unites what customers already know and feel about shrimp – that it is healthy and associated with celebration – into a clear message that can be leveraged by shrimp producers world wide.
“People already know [shrimp] is healthy… People already know that it is easier to digest," GSP Co-Founder Gabriel Luna told SeafoodSource.
Luna and fellow Co-Founder David Castro told SeafoodSource that the campaign also sought to dispel misperceptions about shrimp, which is still associated with luxury despite being increasingly affordable.
“We want to make sure everybody can afford and have happiness,” said Luna. “It’s not going to break you, and the happiness is for everyone.”
Many still encounter shrimp mostly in restaurants. They might love to order a shrimp cocktail when they dine out, but are intimidated by the process of cooking shrimp as an entree for their families.
"People are not used to preparing it, are not used to consuming it so often, and they still have the perception, because of this happening, that [shrimp is] expensive," Lunda said.
To combat these perceptions, the Happy Protein campaign emphasizes images of children and families enjoying shrimp, broadening the protein’s appeal beyond an appetizer for adults, as many still see it. It also combines this more accessible imagery with mouth-watering images of shrimp entrees to appeal to both home chefs and foodies. Members of this demographic will find a range of recipes included in the campaign, from quick week-night family friendly dinners to more complex gourmet dishes inspired by global cuisines.
The campaign’s advertising emphasizes that shrimp produces good feelings, both because of its healthy benefits and because it's a fun, happy food that consumers associate with their best moments with family and friends.
Luna and Castro told SeafoodSource that they wanted the branding to feel global from its inception. At one of their monthly board meetings, they explained, GSC members voted to focus the first stage of the campaign on a few markets they felt had particular potential: the U.S., Spain, France, and Italy.
“That gives us a very nice versatility,” explained Luna. “We’re going …to do four languages for every single ad that we do starting off the bat. We’re going to have all these materials that members can access and use freely.”
The GSC covers the development costs for the marketing program and makes the materials accessible to all. Luna emphasized that the members own the marketing materials, and can use them whenever they want.
“If they want to hire an influencer, a cook, a nutritionist, a chef, or something, and do a promotion in a certain retail [market] or certain city, they can do it with a set of guidelines that will be published by us," Luna said. "We are definitely going to move the needle if we all chip in and have a big budget, [instead of] everybody individually [trying] to do their own thing with different messages that can get confusing.”
In a recent op-ed for SeafoodSource, Luna said that he and Castro came up with the idea for the Global Shrimp Council because they saw a need in their industry.
“David came to me with a great idea – a concept rooted in the belief that shrimp, as one of the most popular and sustainable seafood options, deserved a unified, global marketing platform,” Luna said.
As the campaign has gotten off the ground, Luna and Castro said, they are seeing more interest in Global Shrimp Council participation from shrimp industry stakeholders. Luna said he’s proud that their organization has “unif[ied] the largest producers of the world, the largest exporters and a few of the largest importers, not only in the United States, but also in Europe, who are jumping on board."
“Feed factories, suppliers of the industry, [and] people who develop things for the industry [are] coming on board and then joining and becoming members, because they see this is just a big umbrella that we can all have good hopes for," Luna said.
"We want that final audience to get one clear message," Luna said. "This is healthy. This is good. This is happy.”
