ORLANDO, Fla. — As produce merchandisers turn their attention toward the pivotal fall and winter sports season, Avocados From Mexico is executing a comprehensive strategy to cement fresh guacamole as the essential center of game-day hosting. From college football Saturdays to the ultimate spectacle of the Big Game, the brand is rolling out high-impact omnichannel campaigns, national retail partnerships and targeted regional activations designed to move volume across both bulk and bagged categories.
At the International Fresh Produce Association’s Global Produce and Floral Show, Stephanie Bazan, senior vice president of commercial strategy and execution for Avocados From Mexico, shared insights into how the brand is capitalizing on sports fandom, driving shopper basket rings and helping retailers build dynamic retail tailgate experiences.
Basket Lifts and Viewing Occasions
For avocado marketers, football represents one of the most lucrative levers for category consumption.
When avocados are added to a shopper’s grocery basket during college football season, total basket size increases by 47%, says Bazan. That basket lift is fueled by a significant volume of consumer engagement across the fall schedule.
“And the basket ring story is not only unique to college football,” says Bazan. “We know that football remains a major consumption opportunity for the category. And so, what AFM has done is capitalized on that.
“College football affords us the ability to capture 1,600 viewing occasions,” Bazan continues. “If you think about all the games that are played from August all the way to the national championship, that’s a lot of viewing that happens and a lot of eating, homegating and tailgating that happens at the same time. So, we want to make sure that we’re capitalizing upon that and that we’re present during all those gatherings, as small or as big as they may be.”
Beyond driving sheer volume, football campaigns reach a shifting demographic base. While NFL viewership leans heavily toward specific consumer brackets, college football offers a broad reach that skews slightly more toward female shoppers while seamlessly engaging younger generations who have grown up with avocados as a household staple, says Bazan.
To tap directly into that next-generation demographic, AFM is executing an eight-state college tour across major campuses in the South Atlantic. By bringing interactive avocado activations directly to college-aged fans and visiting families, the brand aims to keep fresh avocados top of mind at the exact moment hosting decisions are made.
‘Saturdays Start With Guac’ and Activating College Football Fandom
For the 2026 college football season, AFM launched its “Saturdays Start With Guac” campaign, a retail-focused push centered around the weekend rituals, superstitions and gatherings that define college sports culture.
“There are 14 Saturdays where there are a lot of big games happening,” Bazan says. “So, we’ve got 1,600 viewing occasions, but those Saturdays are big Saturdays where everyone’s getting together and preparing for their football viewings.”
To bridge the gap between digital consumer enthusiasm and in-store conversion, AFM forged a strategic shopper marketing partnership with e-commerce sports apparel powerhouse Fanatics. Under this program, consumers who purchase $10 worth of fresh avocados receive a $10 promo code to use toward jerseys, hats and team gear on Fanatics.com. The promotion is heavily advertised via targeted digital sports media and featured prominently on eye-catching in-store merchandising displays.
In tandem with the Fanatics offer, AFM is offering a national $1.50 cashback rebate on thematic “Saturdays Start With Guac” avocado bags. Shoppers simply scan their receipt to a dedicated landing page to receive direct reimbursement via digital payment platforms like Venmo.
As the season progresses into late December and January, AFM ramps up its focus toward bowl season. A key centerpiece of this campaign is the chance for consumers and retail partners to win an all-expenses-paid trip to Las Vegas to experience the “Guac Box Suite” at Allegiant Stadium, where AFM serves as the official avocado partner.
Bazan says that late December represents an often-underutilized growth window for grocery retailers.
“In terms of advice for retailers, that last week in December is a very important season for the category. It is the most promotable week of the category, is what we’ve learned,” Bazan says. “Not only do you have New Year’s Eve, you also have big bowl games that are being played. A lot of families are at home and together ... build big guacamole centers tied to the bowl season or the bowl games.”
The Regional Powerhouse: Why the South Atlantic Matters
While national programs provide robust baseline support, AFM is placing particular emphasis on high-growth geographic markets this season. Principal among these is the South Atlantic region, which currently stands as the No. 1 region in terms of avocado volume share in the U.S.
Driven by major population shifts and strong market expansion, volume contribution in the South Atlantic has grown by 28% over the last five years, with population growth projected to surge an additional 29% by 2030. Key metropolitan hubs such as Miami, Baltimore and the broader Carolinas — home to deep-rooted SEC college football fanbases — are leading the surge.
“Growth will continue as the population is expected to grow ... and we see that avocado consumption growth is on the rise, coming across all segments,” Bazan says. “You’ve got a lot of SEC schools down there that we can capitalize on and really use college football as a way to remind consumers that avocados should be in your consideration set when you’re thinking about tailgating or homegating.”
Balancing Bulk and Bagged Operations
To maximize shopper capture during football season, Bazan stresses the critical importance of maintaining a dual-merchandising approach that offers both bulk avocados and prepackaged bags.
Category data shows that national household penetration for avocados has reached an impressive 72%. However, average units purchased per trip nationally sit at approximately 2.13 avocados. Bagged offerings serve as a vital vehicle for elevating overall volume and driving multi-unit purchases.
“Bags continue to lead the growth of the category, representing close to 40% of the overall category mix,” Bazan notes. “What does that do? It helps really push volume, getting more avocados into the home, driving that units per trip opportunity.”
While bagged avocados provide quick, grab-and-go convenience for fans rushing off to tailgates, bulk avocados remain essential for homegaters preparing custom guacamole recipes from scratch.
“Bulk is still king. We can’t forget about bulk,” Bazan asserts. “It’s the convenience play. If you’re tailgating, you might take a bag because it’s convenient ... but if you’re making guacamole at home, bulk might be your option. My advice to retailers is to make sure you’re prepared and covering both pack sizes.”
To capitalize fully on game-day traffic, Bazan advises produce managers to build complete “retail tailgate” destinations within produce departments. By cross-merchandising avocados alongside complementary produce ingredients like tomatoes, onions, cilantro and limes, retailers can capture the full basket potential of football hosting.
The Big Game Playbook With Julian Edelman
As college football transitions into the climax of the professional football season, AFM shifts into its flagship campaign of the year. AFM recently revealed its national omnichannel “Prepare Like a Pro” campaign for the upcoming Big Game, starring three-time football champion and MVP Julian Edelman.
Running from Jan. 18 through Feb. 14, the campaign targets the single largest avocado consumption occasion of the year. Over the past five years, retail avocado sales volume during Big Game week has spiked an average of 31% more pounds compared to a standard week. With last year’s game drawing 125.6 million viewers and 72% of fans watching in group settings, the commercial opportunity for produce departments is unmatched.
The “Prepare Like a Pro” creative follows Edelman as he transitions from on-field MVP to “Hosting Champion,” crowning fresh guacamole as the indisputable MVP of the Big Game watch party spread.
“Julian knows what it takes to be an MVP, and he’s bringing that same energy to the produce aisle,” Bazan says in a news release. “He is the perfect partner to help remind fans that football and guacamole belong together, and give retailers the tools to turn that demand into sales.”
The fully integrated program provides retailers with themed branded packaging, dynamic in-store displays, digital asset kits and a national $1.50 cashback shopper offer on matching themed avocado bags. Consumer engagement is further anchored by the digital “Prepare Like a Pro Hub,” where fans can participate in interactive hosting challenges for exclusive prizes.
Winning the Produce Aisle
With a continuous promotional cadence spanning college kickoff, bowl season and the Big Game, Avocados From Mexico hopes to offer produce retailers a clear blueprint for sales growth. By pairing high-profile celebrity partnerships with tangible shopper discounts and robust regional strategy, AFM aims to ensure that fresh avocados remain a nonnegotiable line item on every sports fan’s shopping list.
