Timed to coincide with World Diabetes Day, the Ad Council and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention unveiled more public service announcements supporting its ongoing Do I Have Prediabetes? initiative.

The two organizations released its Be Your Own Hero ads, which include versions that are one-minute, 30 seconds and 15 seconds long airing in English and Spanish. 

The commercials are targeted to patients at risk of developing prediabetes, a condition which affects one-third of Americans but only 19% know they have. 

The subject of Be Your Own Here is a woman shown bravely traversing through a vast forest, climbing massive boulders and overcoming obstacles before unexpectedly sinking into quicksand.

“Even the mighty might not see it coming,” a voiceover states. “It’s prediabetes and it captures one in three adults. You may not even know you have it, but you can escape.”

Following the voiceover, there is a call to action for the one-minute risk test available on smartphones to see if a person could develop prediabetes and enact treatment supported by an early diagnosis.

The spot was developed by creative agency Subject Matter+Kivvit and will air on broadcast print, radio, out-of-home, digital banners and social media in both English and Spanish through donated media time and space.

Heidi Arthur, chief campaign development officer at the Ad Council, called the ads “action-packed” and illustrative of what people must do to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Christopher Holliday, PhD, MPH, MA, FACHE, director of CDC’s Division of Diabetes Translation, echoed Arthur’s point and said diabetes is a devastating public health problem that takes a sizable toll on millions of Americans every day. 

“Identifying prediabetes is an opportunity for people to change their story and prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. It’s vital that we continue to raise awareness of prediabetes and encourage everyone to learn where they stand,” Holliday stated.

National Diabetes Awareness Month serves as a critical time of year where healthcare brands and advertisers provide messaging on the importance of detection, diagnosis and treatment for a disease that affects 37 million Americans.

To that end, Medtronic drafted former NFL player and sports analyst Kyle Rudolph for its Blue Balloon Challenge to raise awareness for diabetes while Abbott unveiled an installation at the Oculus Center in New York City to highlight patient stories focused on diabetes, which included comedian and talk show host Sherri Shepherd.

The PSA is also the latest in a series of commercials produced by the Ad Council highlighting a range of health challenges like gun violence, distracted driving, the mental health crisis and substance use disorder.