Anti-racism billboards deliver hard-hitting message in Brazil

Billboards incorporating social media are set to become even bigger in 2016. Last year we saw numerous brands cleverly use OOH signage and digital screens to interact with the public in live and engaging ways, with a host of inventive billboards offering up memorable moments to consumers.

It’s little wonder. Inventive outdoor marketing provides a tremendous opportunity to reach a wide audience with the right messaging for brand benefit via all manner of added creativity. 

But sometimes, a simple message delivered clearly is the best way to make an impact with outdoor space. A perfect example of this is a powerful campaign that recently took place in Brazil.

Vast billboards have been used in the country to combat racism in bold fashion. The campaign, to support the Brazilian national day against racial discrimination, drew attention to a selection of real, racially abusive social media posts that were hurled at one of the country’s prime-time weather presenters on both Facebook and Twitter.

The civil rights organisation behind the campaign, Criola, cleverly used geotagging technology to track down the locations of the authors of the abusive comments, and then plastered their tweets and posts on billboards near to their homes. The author’s identities and names were blurred, but the campaign’s message was simple: this activity will not be tolerated and must be addressed.

The ‘Virtual Racism, Real Consequences’ initiative is a highly novel tactic for confronting the growing issue of online racist trolling, but one that has certainly made an impact. In its bid to tackle hateful and racist comments online, it’s picked up extensive coverage around the globe and has also prompted plenty of dialogue within local communities.

'Whether online or in person, it hurts in the same way.' That’s the view of one of the local people questioned, with others calling for a legal crack-down on this online activity and further education. The campaign video captures reactions from those impacted on the streets of Brazil:

 

Criola’s aim is not to expose the authors. Rather, it’s to raise awareness of racism on social media and encourage reflection from us all. Much like the experiential slum stunt that was recently rolled out on unsuspecting New Yorkers by charity TECHO, it shows that experiential marketing can be the perfect way to get across an important message and prompt action from audiences. 

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Joss Davidge is Director of the Unexpected at BEcause, the award-winning live brand experience agency, dedicated to enhancing Brand Love. Sign up to Joss’ next complimentary brand experience masterclass to learn about the most effective experiential marketing strategies.