Use water responsibly!

I may be being a touch sensitive given that as a result of severe floods here in the south of Brazil, i Iike many people was without water for some time – nothing in comparison to the thousands of people who have lost lives, property, loved ones etc – HOWEVER… I’m not sure that the timing of my discovering this outdoor advertisement on a bus shelter from a water company promoting more conscientious consumption of water is the only thing that left me dumbfounded. In case you can’t see from the photo the shell of the advert contains water itself in the bottom half. Not only the water but the electricity required to keep the water circulating within the plastic case of the poster seem to go against the theme of the message. It did get my attention though!

To mark the UN Environment Day, TWRAmericas undertook a series of discussion groups with Brazilians to look not only at the issues as they relate to consumers in Brazil but also broader issues of sustainable development and ethical consumerism. The groups approached a broad range of subjects including current behaviours and responses to a range of ‘green’ advertising and activities by brands. Their are a series of 5 video clips with the thoughts of the participants. Please feel free to add your own own comments or thoughts on the issues discussed.

In this third section of clips respondents discuss a range of green advertising and its influence on their behaviour as consumers.

Brazilian consumers are relatively unlikely to be daring at he point of sale, preferring to refer back to past purchase practices as their primary information sources followed by the opinions of their peers, family and friends.
These are the results from a new research study undertaken with approximately 19 thousand Brazilians between the ages of 12 and 64 in the principal metropolitan regions and which analysed products in 200 different categories.
The findings highlighted varied primary information sources for different products; for cars and electronics the internet and newspaper appear to be most influential, health and lifestyle purchases tend to be most influenced by magazines. TV is defined as most influential amongst products for the home, including food and home electronics. Point of sale influencers do appear to be increasingly important especially amongst young people, as does word of mouth – especially in specific markets such as the mobile phone.

Elsewhere an additional research study has highlighted the fact that Brazilians are the most demanding consumers across South America. They are most likely 53% to discuss purchases with others, inlcuding their children. When deciding between products 86% of Brazilians are influenced by brands and 80% by the influence of a professional.

Source: InfoMoney

Lorrane, 29 yrs old, 1,75m, 67kg, tanned, size 39 shoes boldly goes where most major brands no longer dare. Much has been written about the Clean City Law introduced to remove outdoor advertising from the streets of Sao Paulo, and whilst largely successful the law has failed to deter an erotic masseuse. Initially the city government pondered over how best to issue the R$120,000 fine. The story in today’s Folha de Sao Paulo doesn’t report whether there was a lack of takers for the job of issuing the paperwork. When the government then set out, with a converted dog-catchers van to remove the signs they were literally stunned by the number of signs Lorrane was responsible for or the persistency of the ‘garota de programa’ to return and put more signs up in their place. Apparently in the next few days the city government plan to return to Lorrane’s home and cement over the entrance to her rented home with concrete blocks. 

A second football launch this week saw ESPN via Neogama/BBH employ a very Nike Scoripion’esque graffiti style press campaign for its ongoing football coverage of overseas leagues in 2007/8. The campaign which will start to be visible in the Brazilian media and urban centers as of early 2008 focuses heavily on Ronaldinho and Manchester United to promote the channels coverage of overseas leagues and the UEFA Champions League. More details on portaldapropoganda.com

In the week that Brazil won the bid to host the World Cup in 2014 most of the press coverage in the country has focused on the nations ability to host the tournament, the potential political fallout and the real bidding war within Brazil to be a host city for the tournament. Off the field football continues to dominate in recent Brazilian sports marketing campaigns. A couple of nice examples we picked up on last week. Firstly Adidas, as the official sponsors of the Beach Football World Cup 2007 currently taking place in Rio. The campaign, designed by Age, utilises the talents of local sand artist Roger Rodrigues is very localised based around a small number of posters located in Rio stores during the tournament and focusing on the official ‘Teamgeist’ ball. For more details see here…

Thanks to Gina one need never eat alone in Brazil. Since 1975 blue eyed Gina has accompanied many a feijoada and stroganoff across the country. Many Brazilian restaurants operate on a pay per kilo buffet system which feed millions of people on a daily basis. Finishing off the last mouthful of moqueca or couve how many of them, without thinking, call on Gina to help them freshen up. Gina’s wooden toothpicks have in fact been in existence since 1947 but it was only in the mid 70s that someone had the idea to put the face of the family matriarch on the small brown box. In reality the face that appears on the box is that of the non-toothpick using Polish model Zofia Burk.
Zofia, a much sought after model at the time, is now head of marketing for a major credit card company. Meanwhile Gina, who hasn’t aged a day since she first appeared continues to live on tables and in cupboards across Brazil. Both have their own Orkut fan sites – http://www.orkut.com/Community.aspx?cmm=176922

A classic advert from a classic brand from the south of Brazil. Hering have been makling T-Shirts since there have been Brazilians to wear them. In the classic ad from the early 1960s the art of cigarette smoking whilst in vest is exemplified by the gentleman on the left, his wifebeater wearing friend is occupied inspecting the quality of his towel.