The Global Shrimp Council (GSC) is expanding its inaugural campaign to Europe this summer, following an initial rollout in the United States earlier this year.
“We are truly thrilled to see the campaign going global,” GSC Co-Founder and Co-Chair David Castro said in a statement after announcing the expansion at the 2025 Seafood Expo Global, held in Barcelona, Spain, from 6 to 8 May.
Founded in 2023 to unify industry marketing of shrimp, the GSC has moved quickly to conceive of and launch its first campaign. The council first hired marketing consultant Miguel Barcenas, known in the food sector for creating the successful “Avocados from Mexico” campaign, to formulate the campaign and branding.
The "Global Shrimp: The Happy Protein" campaign seeks to present a unified, international brand for shrimp as a more festive protein option. Promotion materials highlight shrimp as a healthy, high-protein food that makes people happy.
The council initially rolled out the campaign in the U.S., launching its Happy Shrimp advertising at the 2025 Seafood Expo North America in March. The council uses membership fees to pay for the development of the marketing program and then provides those marketing materials for free to members to use however they want in promoting their products.
Now, the council is expanding the campaign into Europe, rolling out in Spain and France in June 2025. The European campaign will include a digital strategy featuring influencers and the council’s own social media channels.
The Global Shrimp Council is hosted by the National Fisheries Institute, which expressed support for the expanded campaign.
“A unified industry is the best approach to navigate today’s market and its uncertainties,” NFI President and CEO Lisa Wallenda Pickard said in a statement. “This global campaign will elevate and empower the collective shrimp industry.”
In addition to the original 44 founding members, the Global Shrimp Council has added another 25 members, welcoming producers, exporters, importers, and suppliers from around the world. At Seafood Expo North America, Barcenas told SeafoodSource Presents that the council has a goal of securing 200 members in the next two to three years.
“Two hundred members takes us to the USD 3 million to USD 4 million (EUR 2.7 million to EUR 3.7 million) campaign that really starts making an impact. What we’re doing is we’re going to be in Boston, we’re going to be in Barcelona, we’re going to be in Utrecht (for the Global Shrimp Forum), and hopefully we’ll have more members,” Barcenas said. “Please join us today.”
