The Challenge
How to create relevance for diabetes—a well-known disease—in a context dominated by concerns and uncertainties about COVID-19? With diabetes becoming a growing global concern affecting approximately 13 million people in Brazil alone, Merck, a leader in science and technology, tasked Imagem Corporativa with raising awareness about prediabetes. The goal was to alert the population to the importance of maintaining health care routines, especially after the pandemic.
Brazil ranks fourth globally in diabetes prevalence, trailing only China, India, and the United States. In Latin America, over 31 million people are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) projects a 62% increase in cases by 2045, reaching 42 million people in the region.
“After long months at home, many people changed their habits, but not all for the better. It is now more necessary than ever to raise awareness about the importance of returning to routine care, check-ups, and preventive measures against diseases such as prediabetes,” explains Dr. Augusto Grinspan, Medical Vice President at Merck for Latin America, where the campaign reached 10 countries.
Strategy
To maximize awareness across Latin America, Merck and Imagem Corporativa launched the #ARecordForHealth movement. This 100% digital and collaborative campaign centered around a free online test to determine the risk of developing prediabetes, aiming to alert and encourage the population to adopt preventive measures.
The campaign’s challenge was presented to the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ committee, which audited and validated the initiative, setting a target of reaching 10,000 people within one week.
Implemented in countries including Brazil, Central America (Panama, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, and Nicaragua), Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru, the campaign mobilized Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn between October 25 and November 1, 2021. The initiative shared vital information about diabetes and health care, engaging diverse audiences and significantly increasing the number of completed tests while raising awareness of the condition.
With a unique digital identity featuring illustrations, animations, and straightforward content, the campaign quickly gained traction in Brazil through targeted and promoted posts. The same approach was adapted for each participating country in Portuguese, Spanish, and English using hashtags like #merckbrasil, #diabetes, #umrecordepelasaude, #ParaTodosVerem, #GWR, and #GuinnessWorldRecords.
Influencer Participation
Influencers played a pivotal role in making Brazil the leader in campaign engagement. Key participants included:
- @mister.emerson, actor, comedian, and TikToker with 715K followers.
- @tpmjuferraz, pastry chef and TV host with 390K followers.
- @aryfontoura, a 89-year-old actor and social media sensation with over 3M followers, ranked as Brazil’s third most influential personality.
In 2022, the campaign adopted the tagline In the Movement for the Record. Influencer @mairamedeiros_, diagnosed with prediabetes that later progressed to diabetes, became an ambassador, urging her followers to take the test through posts and stories. Continued promotion on Merck’s social media platforms reached 241,000 people. In total, over 25,000 tests were conducted in 2022, building on the 47,000 tests completed during the Guinness record campaign.
Results
The campaign concluded with the release of a global diabetes awareness survey commissioned by Merck, highlighting the disease in Brazil. The findings were published on UOL, one of Brazil’s largest news portals, alongside a video reel featuring @aryfontoura thanking participants, celebrating the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title, and reinforcing the importance of health care.
Merck was recognized for achieving the Guinness World Record for the largest number of prediabetes/diabetes tests completed online as part of an awareness campaign in Latin America, with 47,000 participants—four times the established goal. Among all tests conducted, 18% indicated a high or very high risk of developing the condition.
Key Metrics
- 47,000 online prediabetes tests completed.
- 523,854 people reached via Merck’s social media and influencers.
- 38 online press articles generating 4.2M impressions.
More than just breaking a record, these 47,000 tests represent individuals dedicating a few minutes to assess their health and potential risk of prediabetes/diabetes, taking steps to seek medical advice if needed. This is a significant step toward returning to routine medical exams and check-ups that were often neglected during the pandemic, concludes Dr. Augusto Grinspan.
