Novo Nordisk has launched a big integrated Spanish-language marketing campaign for its FlexPen insulin delivery device – one that Univision calls “the most robust ever” in Hispanic media for the diabetes sector.

“It’s a portfolio play across all our brands,” said Novo Nordisk’s Jeremy Shepler, associate director of marketing. “What we learned that initiated this effort was that the prevalence of type 2 diabetes among Hispanics is quite large, 2.4 times greater than among non-Hispanic whites. We also know this population is projected to increase 25% over the next twenty years.”

A tracking survey the company ran found a scant 9% unaided awareness of insulin delivery devices among Hispanics with diabetes. Among insulin users, awareness was scarcely higher at 15%.

FlexPen straddles Novo Nordisk’s insulin portfolio, which includes the Novolog and Levemir brands. The TV component, with ads airing on channels including Univision, Telemundo and Telefutura, is specific to Novolog FlexPen, but other parts, including online promotion, will plug both brands. Cult Health handled creative in partnership with Miami-based Hispanic marketing specialist DMG Solutions.

The tagline is “Administracion de insulina que va contigo – in English, “Insulin delivery that’s going places.” The tagline for English-language ads is “Insulin delivery my way.”  

Digital efforts go beyond banner ads, with a website (miflexpen.com), relationship marketing and paid search.

“Understanding the 12.3% diabetes prevalence rate for Hispanics versus 8.4% for non-Hispanics and the tremendous opportunity to reach a consumer that can drive demand for their product,  FlexPen has taken a strategic approach to engage with  the Latino consumer directly in Spanish,” said Jorge Daboub, VP for Univision’s Client Development Group. “This is the most robust diabetes campaign ever targeting Hispanic Americans and it is the first integrated DTC campaign leveraging both TV and digital media.”

“To have something so integrated across languages is new,” said Shepler, “and it’s not just a one off initiative. It’s integrated in to a bigger play.”

A recent Univision study of predominately Spanish-speaking American patients found a need for more in-culture communications about health and medicine, noting that Hispanics are 21% less likely to be diagnosed with disease than non-Hispanics.