Advertising in Brazil

ADText: Advertising Curriculum
Unit 16: Advertising in Brazil

ADText Unit 16

1. Brazil Is Different

Brazil enjoys an international reputation for producing some of the world’s most creative advertising. The mere mention of Brazil to advertising professionals evokes images of innovative, appealing print ads and commercials—many that have taken top prizes at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival and other international competitions. A creative revolution that rivals Bill Bernbach’s Creative Revolution of the 1960s took place in Brazil in the 1980s and 1990s. This chapter explores some of the factors giving rise to the high level of creativity in Brazilian advertising and examines some recent campaigns that reflect the Brazilian style of advertising.

2. The Context—The Place of Advertising in Brazilian Society

Generally speaking, Brazilians like and admire advertising, especially when it is entertaining. It is accepted and tolerated to a much higher degree than in the United States, and there are few, if any, significant groups that attempt to counter it. Marcio Moreira, Vice Chairman and Chief Talent Officer of McCann Worldgroup, and native Brazilian, puts it this way:

The Brazilian public is a sucker for advertising! The cynicism, the skepticism, the questioning, the “I don’t buy that” attitude is still not there. It’s an environment in which advertising people are stars.

However, much like the United States, advertising is ubiquitous in Brazil. Familiar venues for advertising include television, billboards and signs in city streets, magazines, newspapers, and electronic media. Evening soap operas (telenovelas) are extremely popular and, along with sporting events, especially soccer, provide some of the most coveted advertising space.

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ADText Unit Excerpts

"Our future marketing and advertising leaders are not just looking for a job, they are looking for a meaningful career that will make a positive impact on society."
— Gord McLean, President and CEO at ANA Educational Foundation