Cannes Lions

THE WINTER NUMBERS

PROPEG, Sao Paulo / SAO PAULO CITY HALL / 2024

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Case Film

Overview

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Credits

Overview

Background

So that the City of São Paulo can reach all of the over 31 thousand people experiencing homelessness in the city and provide shelter on cold days, the number 156 was created—a telephone line through which the public can request assistance if they encounter someone vulnerable to the cold on the city streets.

The campaign aimed to activate the solidarity of São Paulo residents, encouraging them to contact the City if they found someone sleeping on the streets during cold days, emphasizing the number 156.

With over 12 million inhabitants, São Paulo is the largest city in Latin America. To impact the entire population in a compelling way, the message needed to be presented uniquely, associated with one of every Brazilian's greatest passions: soccer.

Idea

On June 25, 2023, the first Sunday after the beginning of winter in the southern hemisphere, the main game of the most important football championship in Brazil featured an unusual initiative. The jerseys of Palmeiras players with numbers below 13 displayed the symbol of degrees Celsius, and the team captain wore the jersey with the number 156, in reference to the telephone number through which the public can request assistance from the City of São Paulo if they encounter someone vulnerable to the cold on the city streets.

This unusual event was highlighted and explained by the sports announcer on TV Globo, the country's largest television network with significant viewership numbers. The incident quickly became a topic on social media, was covered by major media outlets, and resonated with the population.

Strategy

The initiative was aimed at the entire population of the city of São Paulo: people of all genders, ages, and social classes. To impact such a broad audience, one of the moments with the highest attention from the city's population was selected—the round game of the Brazilian championship, held on Sunday afternoons, which gathers a large audience at the stadium and in front of the TV.

Palmeiras, one of the largest football teams in Brazil and the reigning Brazilian Champion of 2022, was the chosen partner to bring the communication onto the field with prominence and widespread reach. The message needed to be presented in an organic and unusual way to create a sense of curiosity among the audience and bring the topic to the forefront with relevance.

Execution

On June 25, 2023, the first Sunday after the beginning of winter in the southern hemisphere, the main game of the most important football championship in Brazil featured an unusual initiative. The jerseys of Palmeiras players with numbers below 13 displayed the symbol of degrees Celsius, and the team captain wore the jersey with the number 156, in reference to the telephone number through which the public can request assistance from the City of São Paulo if they encounter someone vulnerable to the cold on the city streets.

This unusual event was highlighted and explained by the sports announcer on TV Globo, the country's largest television network with significant viewership numbers. The incident quickly became a topic on social media, was covered by major media outlets, and resonated with the population.

Outcome

The Palmeiras players wore jerseys featuring the campaign intervention throughout the entire 90 minutes of the match, directly impacting an audience of over 38,000 people present in the stadium and the more than 2,420,000 viewers in São Paulo who watched the live broadcast on TV. The free exposure on TV during the match alone generated over R$ 14,100,000.00 in earned media.

The topic was widely covered by major media outlets in São Paulo and across the country. Sports sections on portals such as G1, Uol, Metropoles, Gazeta Esportiva, Terra, and Energia em Campo highlighted the initiative. On social media, the subject gained traction in the comments of fans from all teams who were moved by the theme and engaged in the campaign, commending Palmeiras and the City of São Paulo for the initiative

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