When a Secular Company Preached the Gospel to an Adventist Business

Some time ago Unión, the health food company managed by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Peru, noted a worrying trend. Even though their sales were doing well, often beating the competition in the area of healthy bread loaves and plant-based products, they noticed some branding confusion.

“We had various brand designs, with different colors, fonts, and illustrations,” said Unión CEO Martín Saldaña during the 2026 Adventist Health Food Association Conference in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, February 10. “There was not a distinct marketing approach, and we were not sure our motto—‘Healthy by Nature’—was the best choice after many years without changes.”

A branding company suggested Unión should focus of love as described in 1 Corinthians 13:13 to reach out to its customers across Peru and beyond. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]

Unión, which has been serving the Peruvian people since 1929, decided to request a company specializing in branding to assess their approach and suggest changes or improvements. The branding company, not connected to the Adventist Church, eventually presented a 100-page report to Unión, for which it charged thousands of dollars.

A Major Surprise

When Unión leaders opened the report, they were surprised to find out that the secular branding company quoted a verse from the Bible: “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor. 13:13).

The branding company informing Unión decisions suggested they move from a rational model based on health to an emotional one based on love and care for people. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]

In its report the company explained that they knew the Adventist Church very well, and they could tell that everything the church does is consistent, driven by love. “You should make the most of that strength,” the company told Unión.

The problem the branding detected was that the “Healthy by Nature” motto is a rational phrase, as in “It’s important to be healthy, and I’m going to show you why.” But eating and drinking, the company said, is an emotional enterprise, not a rational one. To prove it, it referred them to the motto of well-known food and drink brands across Peru and the world. “Those companies talk about happiness, about closeness, about meeting and spending time with family, etc.,” the branding company said. “They connect with their customers through their emotions. So if you want to capitalize on your strengths and connect with your customers, you should be talking about love.”

Unión has rebranded every merchandising product with the company’s new motto—“Unión: Feeding With Love.” [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]

The branding study and suggestions led Unión to develop a change of its motto and core message, Saldaña announced. Accordingly, in March, Unión will be launching its new branding campaign under the motto, “Unión: Feeding With Love.” “We have developed the same branding style for all of our products,” Saldaña said, explaining that the logo will include a stylized heart-shaped illustration. “From now on, we will emphasize the message that everything we do, we do it out of love.”

Defined by One Word

The goal of this change, Saldaña said, is to reach more families across Peru and eventually the world. Above all, he said, Unión wishes that, when customers see the company products, they may connect it with love and care for people. “From our very beginning, we were more than just a company producing healthy food options,” Saldaña emphasized. “We were born to care, to assist, and to be present in people’s lives. If we had to define what the company is in one word, there’s no doubt about it—Unión is love.”

The new motto has unified designs and illustrations across the company’s packaging with symbols of love and care. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]

That word has already changed our packaging, illustrations, and approach, Saldaña said. “There will be now just one graphic design style, only one vision, and a strong focus on our 96-year-old story—“Unión: Since 1929, Feeding With Love.”

At the same time, it reinforces the original idea behind the company. “Unión was born to serve, educate, and transform lives,” Saldaña said. “Today we are taking a responsible step forward to keep doing it for the next 100 years.”

Every Unión product, including peanut butter, now follows a unified model by which the company stresses their love and care for people. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]