| Title | Amazon Desert Rally |
| Agency | Africa |
| Campaign | Amazon Desert Rally |
| Advertiser | VIVO |
| Brand | VIVO |
| Posted | May 2024 |
| Business Sector | IT Solutions & Professional Networks |
| Story | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE VIVO ‘AMAZON DESERT RALLY’ CAMPAIGN: A CRAZY IDEA WITH A SERIOUS MESSAGE The project alerts to the point of no return in the Amazon Rainforest São Paulo, Brazil — As the Amazon Rainforest faces unprecedented threats from deforestation leading to desertification, Vivo, the most sustainable company in Brazil and the whole of Latin America, joined forces with indigenous communities and environmental organizations to launch the groundbreaking "Amazon Desert Rally." To draw attention to the harsh truth of the Amazon’s plight, Vivo crafted a fake desert race that juxtaposes a wild fiction with an even wilder reality of vast environmental destruction. The effort, conceived with Vivo’s creative agency, Africa Creative, aims to shed light on the alarming rate of river drying in the Amazon basin and garner public support for urgent conservation efforts. The Amazon basin's rivers have lost a staggering 120 trillion liters of water in 2023 alone, with illegal logging emerging as a leading cause of environmental degradation. A recent study published in Nature revealed that 40% of logging in the Amazon is illegal, resulting in the devastation of vast forested areas equivalent to the size of Denmark each year. Furthermore, indigenous territories designated for sustainable logging have been overrun, exacerbating the ecological crisis. Vivo’s tagline, "Don't sponsor this race," urges consumers to consider the origins of the wood products they purchase and advocate for sustainable practices. Fernando Julianelli, CEO of Vicar, Stock Car's promoter, emphasizes the importance of consumer responsibility in preserving the Amazon: "By eschewing Amazonian resources, even within our homes, we can contribute to forest preservation." In response to this environmental emergency, the IPAM (Amazon Environmental Research Institute) worked with the Paiter Suruí indigenous village and Stock Car, to develop the "Amazon Desert Rally" campaign for Vivo. The Vivo campaign's centerpiece is a fictitious rally intended to draw attention to the imminent threat of irreversible damage to the Amazon Rainforest. Filmed on the Rio Branco in Roraima, the campaign's launch film portrays a dystopian future where indigenous people from the Paiter Surui village train for a race on dry riverbeds. Their message is clear: the rally symbolizes the potential disappearance of the Amazon as they know it, their ancestral homeland. "Without water and without forests, humanity will lack the vitality to rally," said Almir Surui, president of the Paiter Surui territory and UN-appointed Forest Hero. As the Amazon Rainforest faces the prospect of irreversible degradation, the campaign aims to mobilize public support for conservation efforts. Indigenous leader Celso Surui made a symbolic appearance at the São Paulo stage of Stock Car, underscoring the urgency of preserving the Amazon's biodiversity. Furthermore, to intensify the message and build a movement against desertification, the visual arts studio Black Madre also developed and produced seven woodcut printed posters. With a language that brings simplicity combined with design sophistication to make this appeal, the message of the posters and the race were designed through a more graphic and direct aesthetic, elements very present in this relief engraving method, where the image is sculpted in a wooden matrix. Vivo invited seven indigenous artists to create interventions on the posters, highlighting the environmental impact of deforestation. These interventions were showcased at MAM (Museum of Modern Art) amplifying the message of conservation to a wider audience. "We envision a future where forests and flowing rivers reign supreme, where nature thrives and humanity finds harmony with the environment," reflects Paulo Moutinho, senior researcher at IPAM. The "Amazon Desert Rally" campaign underscores the critical importance of safeguarding the Amazon Rainforest for future generations. As the first Official Non-Sponsor, Vivo, Latin America's most sustainable TechCo, has pledged its commitment to using certified wood and opposing illegal deforestation. While the rally may be hypothetical, the reality of dried-up rivers in the Amazon is not. Join us in taking a stand for the preservation of one of our planet's most invaluable natural treasures. VIVO Vivo is the commercial brand of Telefônica Brasil, the leading telecommunications company in the country, with over 112 million accesses (1Q23) and a purpose to "Digitalize to Bring Closer." Vivo is a digital hub, facilitating its customers' access to services in different areas such as entertainment, sports, digital security, finance, health, and education. It operates in fixed and mobile telecommunications services throughout the national territory and offers a complete and convergent portfolio of products for both B2C and B2B customers. In the mobile segment, Vivo has 98 million accesses and holds the largest market share (39%) in the country, according to quarterly results (1Q23). Guided by constant innovation and the high quality of its services, Vivo is at the center of a digital transformation that enhances its customers' autonomy, personalization, and real-time choices, empowering them to take control of their digital lives with security and reliability. Telefônica Brasil is part of the Telefónica Group, one of the largest communication conglomerates in the world. Recognizing its responsibility to give back to society the trust it receives in the use of its services, the company has the Telefônica Vivo Foundation. With 23 years in Brazil, the Telefônica Vivo Foundation is one of the main pillars of social responsibility in Vivo's ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) concept. With a focus on public education, it contributes to the digital development and inclusion of students and educators through projects that stimulate new opportunities for teaching and learning. https://www.vivo.com.br/ About Africa Creative Africa Creative (www.africa.com.br ) is one of the largest and most awarded advertising agencies in Brazil and Latin America, responsible for successful campaigns for some of the country’s most prestigious brands. Africa was founded in 2002 and is part of Omnicom Group’s DDB Worldwide. Media Kit https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1C91vSC3Li3aC5V66sayhrCum2luRZhgV YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAzeQBPvYnY Media Inquiries: Valerie Silverman Kerr VSK Public Relations, LLC valerie@vsk-publicrelations.com 914-806-6647 CREDITS Title: Amazon Desert Rally Agency: Africa Creative Client: Vivo CCO: Sergio Gordilho CoCCO: Nicholas Bergantin ECD: Bruno Oppido, Juliana Leite Creative Director: Pedro Galdi, Pedro Rosas Creative Lead: Gustavo Stevanato Associate Creative Director: Guilherme Portugal Art Director: Pedro Galdi, Renan Molin, Bruno Bacci Copywriter: Pedro Rosas, Zé Luis Schmitz, Nicholas Bergantin Designer: Bruno Oppido CoCOO: Heloisa Pupim Account Management: Camilla Steiman, Larissa Bertin, Rafaela Petita, Natalia Chamadouro, and Barbara Passos Media: Jefferson Sales and Tatiana Araujo Planning: Ana Kuroki; Anne Corbucci, Nathalia França, and Katiane Souza VP of Special Projects: Juliana Leite Director of Special Projects: Lica de Souza Project Manager: Thays Miranda Creative Producers: Theo Etlin, Giovanna Lima, Laís Cattena, José Henrique, Raquel Martins, Victoria Cantoni Production Assistant: Valentina De Luca Intern: Marina Rabello Director of Sustainability and Institutional Relations: Raphael Vandystadt Creative Research Director: Estevão Mabilia Meneguzzo Creative Research Manager: Eduardo Berardinelli Creative Researcher: Bea Ribeiro, Mana Black Head of Talent: Fernando Alonso Director of Talent: Bruna Cicolino Producers: Thais Freitas, Leandro Motta, Carolina Barakat, and Gabriella Marlene Silva VP Content and Social: Patricia Colombo |
| Media Type | Digital |
| Length | |
| Market | Brazil |
| Chief Creative Officer | Sergio Gordilho |
| Chief Creative Officer | Nicholas Bergantin |
| Chief Creative Officer | Heloisa Pupim |
| Executive Creative Director | Bruno Oppido |
| Executive Creative Director | Juliana Leite |
| Creative Director | Pedro Galdi |
| Creative Director | Pedro Rosas |