World Cup supporter and national team sponsor Itaú has activated its Brazilian squad partnership by capturing Brazilian fan heartbeats inside a football.
At the heart of the Brazilian bank’s activation are high-tech balls designed specially for the campaign – each one equipped with heart monitors.
So when fans of the host nation’s hold the balls the sensors interpret their pulse as sound waves and record it to create and collate the heartbeat of the nation..
An Itaú Unibanco tour team is criss-crossing the country – visiting World Cup host cities São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Porto Alegre and Fortaleza – offering fans the chance to record their collective heartbeats.
The sponsor is further amplifying its support by specifically invited the current squad’s families and loved ones, plus an elite group of former Brazil legends to all record their hearts beating for Brazil.
The vibrations were stored and transferred to a single ball which was delivered to the players on the first day of the FIFA World Cup 2014 – when the team took on Croatia to kick-off the tournament.
The online teaser alone has racked up more than one million YouTube views to date.
The bank is also supporting the initiative through the World Cup with print, outdoor, experiential and online work.
A second strand of the bank’s World Cup campaign is its documentary series focusing on fans own stories about their Brazilian footballing passion.
This 10-part programme is being aired on the bank’s official YouTube channel.
Each short film is around two or three minutes long and follows one fan’s passion, such as Episode 1,
and Episode 2.
The ‘heartbeat Of Brazil Ball’ follows Itau’s initial World Cup Draw design-led poster and print initiative and its December 2013 pre World Cup campaign launched at the very end of 2013 led by a spot called ‘The Great Transformation’.
Developed by Agencia Africa, the commercial transforms Brazil into one giant stadium.
The spot’s production team travelled the length and breadth of the country on a 20-day shoot which focused on nine host cities and included many of Brazil’s main tourist attractions.
The film has four variants with special edits of different scenes: an extended version at 1 minute and 45 seconds, a 60-second version and two 30-second cuts.
It is running across national TV, in Brazilian cinemas and online.
This campaign aims to show the bank’s belief in the power of the fans to change the game, help the team and to ensure that the 2014 World Cup can change their nation for the better.
‘During the World Cup, we’ll have Brazilian fans with energy capable of changing the game all around the country. Itau knows that only those that believe and take the position of millions of Brazilians can cheer, believing that everything will go well,’ said Andrea Pinotti Cordeiro, Institutional Marketing Director at Itau Unibanco.
‘This campaign is a milestone for our World Cup projects. The film represents a belief that we want to share with the whole nation: Brazilian fans have great power to change things.’
‘After filming for days and numerous hours of computer editing, the clip shows our Brazil being transformed into a huge field, an immense stadium. It is reminding us that this World Cup of all World Cups won’t be played just in the beautiful stadiums that have been constructed, nor just by the 22 selected players, but in each corner of the street, and square in Brazil, and by all Brazilians,’ commented Africa Co-President and CCO Sergio Gordilho.
Comment
Itau, Latin America’s biggest bank, is aiming to encapsulate the emotional passion of its customers and the Brazilian people for its national team into a physical object.
While Itaú has been backing the Brazilian team in various guises for more than 20 years now, it became the official national team sponsor in 2008.
The brand’s lengthy commitment to the side sees it align its brand, its values and its marketing into the national passion for the game.
The brand’s football marketing aims to both bring Brazilians closer to their team and also to remind Brazilians that it is a home-grown bank that supports and champions home-grown talent.
Links
Itau Bank Website
Itau Twitter
Itau Facebook
Itau YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/bancoitau
Itau Instagram
http://instagram.com/bancoitau
CBF Website
FIFA World Cup Website
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/index.html
