The World Cup, the most popular sporting event in the world, is coming to Brazil next month, and local advertisers have taken the opportunity to represent the country through branding and marketing materials. The official FIFA website describes the task as one to “characterize a nation as colorful and vibrant as Brazil – a country with a rich traditional cultural heritage, yet rapidly emerging as one of the world’s most modern and influential economies.” World Cup branding involves an official logo, poster, slogan, mascot, ball, instrument and song. We’re going to look at a few to see how they represent Brazilian culture.
The Brazilian agency Africa was selected from a group of 25 Brazilian agencies to design the Official Emblem. Dubbed “Inspiration,” the logo and wordmark incorporate the colors of the Brazilian flag with the image of hands embracing the Cup itself to represent the humanitarian aspect of the tournament as countries from around the world come together.
This poster was designed by Karen Haidinger from the Brazilian agency Crama. The poster again uses the colors of the flag while incorporating elements of Brazilian culture into the shape of legs kicking a soccer ball. Similarly, the negative space between the legs creates the shape of Brazil itself. The cultural identity of the country is liberally applied here and creates a unique aesthetic.
The mascot for the games is a three-banded armadillo, a native species to Brazil, named Fuleco. The name is a combination of the words for the sport (futebol) and sustainability (ecologia). This species of armadillo is one of only two able to roll into a ball, and his coloration is meant to evoke not only the national flag, but also the “natural beauty of Brazil” in the form of “the sky and clear waters.” The character has a personal history that can be found on the official FIFA website, where he describes himself as “a true Brazilian [who] enjoy[s] spending time in open savannahs and dry woodlands, the Amazon rainforest or on any beach on the Brazilian coast, as long as there is a football pitch nearby.” Clearly the landscape of Brazil is a defining factor of the national culture.
The official slogan, “All in One Rhythm,” was developed by Brazilian communications agency Aktuell. The phrase invokes the inclusive aspect of the World Cup as well as the “rhythm of unity and diversity, the rhythm of innovation, the rhythm of nature, the rhythm of football and the rhythm of Brazilian culture.” The slogan is said to represent the five pillars of Brazilian culture, including “cohesive society, power of innovation, striking nature, living football and land of happiness.”
Having the won the FIFA World Cup five times, more than any other country, Brazil is taking a lot of pride in their hosting duties and their branding materials certainly emphasize that.
Cover Photo Source: mooinblack / Shutterstock.com
Image Source 1: Jon Le-Bon / Shutterstock.com
Image Source 2: Beto Chagas / Shutterstock.com
[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]http://ourspace.thesanjosegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Our-Space-Kaz.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Kaz is a Junior Executive at SJG. He earned BAs in English Writing and Business Marketing at Illinois Wesleyan University and is currently pursuing an MA in Advertising at The University of Texas at Austin. Outside the office, Kaz consumes gobs of media including but not limited to books, magazines, music, movies and television.[/author_info] [/author]