Everyone knows about Brazil’s growth in the last few years. Part of the BRIC, a grouping acronym that refers to the countries of Brazil, Russia, India and China, Brazil and the others are deemed to be at a similar stage of newly advanced economic development.
Some specialists might argue that the boom is nearly over for the South American country (short lived dreams?), but I saw for myself on my recent visit to Brazil that the spending power has grown massively, especially within the middle class. And I know the difference between ‘before’ and ‘after’, as Brazil is my home country.
Faced with consumers with more money to spend, it’s no wonder all brands are trying their best to grab customers’ attention. This, of course, results in more and more creative advertising, as the need is to stand out more than ever. But what is it that makes Brazil’s advertising so special? Here’s my take on it…
1. The Brazilians like it Brazilian advertising pieces have been taking top prizes at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival and other international competitions for many years. Generally speaking, Brazilians like and admire advertising, especially when it is entertaining. They talk about it, they appreciate it, they watch out for it, they celebrate with it.
2. It’s everywhere Familiar venues for advertising include television, billboards and signs in city streets, magazines, newspapers and electronic media. Evening soap operas (the famous telenovelas that are exported to many Portuguese-speaking countries) are extremely popular and, along with sporting events, especially football, provide some of the most coveted advertising space. Usually campaigns are very well planned and continuity and consistency can be noticed throughout.
3. It’s a ‘people’ thing In Brazilian advertising, people are stars. Many have actually famously become icons in the whole country and have been on the telly/printed media for decades. One example is the guy from Bombril (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpZOQ0aZsXk), who is basically a geek that likes to talk about cleaning products in a very funny way. I like him myself and always smile when a new advert invades the telly. Models as well as producers of advertisements often achieve celebrity status in Brazil. Gossip magazines report on the private lives of top advertising executives, adding to their celebrity status.
4. Why is Brazilian advertising so creative? Brazil is a blend of many races and that makes us creative, sensual, musical, talented, and good-humoured. I’m not being big-headed, no no. It’s true. It’s just that we are a very lively nation and it’s easy to see our colourful, humorous, dancing mood duly transferred into the advertising we produce. Advertising in Brazil is almost a translation of the people and their behaviour. Brazilians are lovers of three things mainly (and pardon me for generalising, as I know that we are also very passionate about many other things). The three things are: women, football and carnival. These three things are in almost every advert you see. Now you have to be creative to use these three themes in so many ways that they don’t become repetitive. And somehow we manage to do just that. To get to this stage, though, it wasn’t a short process.
When multinational corporations began coming to Brazil, especially in the 1970s, they generally had difficulty importing the commercials that went along with their products. Many felt that they could simply use an American or Mexican commercial (with language changes, of course), but this approach tended not to work. People knew it wasn’t meant for them and just discarded it straight away. These multinationals quickly learned that commercials aimed at Brazilians had to be different and very much tailored to the audience.
During the 1970s and 1980s, the Brazilian market was generally closed to foreign imports. When it opened up in the 1990s, imported cars, wine, and other luxury goods from abroad became available. Multinational corporations began buying Brazilian businesses and using them to extend their global reach. As consequence of this transformation of the Brazilian market, the advertising industry also changed. The foreign owners could not understand the language, humour, or style of Brazilian advertisements. Moreover, the multinationals wanted campaigns that would work throughout Latin America, not just in Portuguese-speaking Brazil.
A major obstacle was the Portuguese language, which, although the official language for Brazilians who constitute 51% of Latin American population, is typically unknown in the other 12 countries of South America. This linguistic block precluded others understanding and admiring even the most brilliant copy. Moreover, puns, jokes, and other forms of language play did not translate well. As a result, Brazilian advertising became much more dependent on visual communication. Brazilian advertising communicates through single, simple ideas that express brand essence. Understanding it does not depend, most of the time, on knowledge of the Portuguese language.
5. The body beautiful in Brazilian advertising Once, in Cannes, a Brazilian marketer had a question from the audience. They asked: “Why do you always have so many exposed bodies in Brazilian advertising?” He answered: “Because we like it!” Simple as that.
It is hard to understate the importance of sex in Brazilian public life. It is discussed on TV shows, magazines, and everyday life. Sexuality is on display, be it on the beach or on the telenovelas. One of the first things that foreigners notice in Brazil is the extraordinary focus on nearly nude bodies, sensual clothing, and over the top expressions of sex. Advertising in Brazil, therefore, leads as well as follows in emphasizing physical beauty. It can be very difficult for foreigners to understand how it works, but if they had a chance to live in Brazil, they’d get it. Advertising is strongly linked to how society is structured.
6. Expanding markets With growing companies and expansion (still) on the horizon, many brands are trying to export more and more. Although many get it right (the flip flop brand Havaianas – www.havaianas.com is a good example), I have been on countless Brazilian brands’ websites that try to cater for the British public … and boy do they get it wrong. As a Portuguese and English speaker, I can clearly see where they have badly translated a sentence straight from Portuguese, without taking into consideration the audience at which the headline is being directed to. It’s a shame to see a country that is striving in so many ways to lose precious points when trying to expand their markets. Brands should be more conscious of the cultural differences and should definitely invest in proper translations and even adaptations of their taglines and adverts. If the intended public doesn’t ‘get it’, it’s very unlikely that the product will sell.
Overall, Brazil is a brilliant country with expanding economic power and brilliant marketing and advertising campaigns. If brands want a slice of the British market too, though, they’ll have to re-think their strategies and invest in quality specialists to make sure they stand out. The UK is small in comparison to Brazil, but its public is much more educated than the Brazilian majority. What I’ll say is: want a slice of this market, work for it and make the British public feel like the advert is made for them. Bad interpretations and straightforward translations will only do what the American adverts did in Brazil: annoy people and drive them away.
Marilia Spindler is an Account Executive at Happy Creative, a strategic branding and marketing agency based in Blackpool, Lancashire. To learn more or contact us please go to www.happy-creative.co.uk
