Dive Brief:

• Del Real Foods, a maker of Hispanic ready-to-eat products owned by the multinational company Corporación Multi Inversiones (CMI), launched its first brand campaign May 1, according to information shared with Marketing Dive.
• Launched just a few days before Cinco de Mayo, “Abuela Intelligence” puts an emphasis on real ingredients and human connection. A video spot features a group of abuelas dispensing nuggets of advice, in both English and Spanish, from a ‘90s-style call center.
• The campaign will roll out CTV commercials in Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco. Online video ads are set to run across YouTube, social media and Del Real’s website. A mobile sampling experience known as an “Abuela Road Trip” will appear at select retail locations in Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix and the Sacramento area through July.

Dive Insight:

Del Real Foods is choosing to embrace connection and authenticity in its first-ever brand campaign at a time when AI and automation are playing an increasingly prominent role in advertising. “Abuela Intelligence” is intended to cut through with humor and the age-old wisdom of grandmothers in an effort to highlight the quality and authenticity of the brand’s offerings. While the campaign’s launch is timed to Cinco de Mayo, it will continue through the year with tastings and a nation-wide contest to find the “Ultimate Abuela.”

A 30-second spot depicts a call-center staffed entirely by abuelas. The call center runs on “AI” which in this case stands for “Abuela Intelligence” as consumers phone in to get advice on everything from tips on how to cook authentic tacos to relationship advice. The abuelas, outfitted in typical call-center headgear, dish out advice with humor and compassion. One abuela is even knitting while another unwraps one of those strawberry candies stereotypically found in the bottom of a purse.

Nostalgia for a time less driven by digital technology is at the core of Del Real’s campaign, a tactic embraced by many brands looking to connect with consumers. However, the strategy has its pitfalls, with many brands failing to make the emotional impact they were hoping for. “Abuela Intelligence” puts its own spin on the trend as it uses nostalgia to cut through AI noise and remind consumers that grandmas can dispense better advice than a computer program.

The global ready-to-eat food market is expected to grow from $193.8 billion in 2024 to $406.9 billion by 2034. Growth is largely driven by packaging innovations and increased demand from convenience-focused consumers.

Del Real Foods, which is headquartered in Jurupa Valley, California, has national distribution and is available at retailers such as Costco, Walmart, Target and other retailers. CMI acquired the brand from Palladium Equity Partners in 2024. The Guatemalan-based company operates across 15 countries, largely in Latin America.