Corona is a champion of the environment. In its new campaign by Africa creative and visual arts studio, Black Madre, that support includes the people whose livelihood depends on the environment – the fishermen of Brazil. It has a distinctive visual style, blending real imagery with handcrafted animation, that underlines the fantastic – the mythical stories fishermen tell. The campaign transforms traditional fishing communities’ oral histories into tangible art through a meticulous mix of stop-motion animation involving wood-carved scenes and layered storytelling techniques.
The Fisherman Storytellers focuses on a critical economic challenge facing coastal fishing communities. The campaign is set during Brazil’s annual fishing prohibition periods, when fishermen’s primary source of income is suspended. Corona shows how it’s presenting alternative livelihoods by transforming fishermen into tour guides who share their rich cultural heritage of legends and tales with tourists.
Black Madre’s contribution is the most ambitious handcrafted work in the studio’s history. The team created a series of striking key visuals, a 60-second animation, and designed a special handmade pop-up book that brings five traditional fisherman’s legends to life.
“This project was born out of a deep creative development process, diving into the Caiçara aesthetic and exploring how to combine this visual language with storytelling in the most powerful way,” stated André Maciel, creative director of Black Madre. “That’s why we used wood and those worn, weathered textures — everything was guided by this path.”
The campaign’s distinctive visual identity emerged through Black Madre’s extensive exploration of Caiçara and fishing cultures. The boat, as the essential mediator between fisherman and sea, serves as the campaign’s central metaphor.
“The entire process was made using wood,” Maciel continued “Every single object, layer, and element in the scene — everything was made of wood. Some elements were hand-carved, like the fish, the island, the hand, the octopus tentacles. All of it was carved using gouges, a curved chisel used in woodworking. We started with raw wood, and I personally carved it, digging into the material to sculpt the characters and elements. It was a truly handcrafted process — the most manual project we’ve ever done at the studio.”
Each key visual tells a specific legend from fishing communities, including “The Cracked Island,” “The Smallest Fish,” and “The Fisherman of Fishermen.” The narratives were carefully constructed through layered wooden elements to create depth and dimensionality. The visual aesthetic deliberately aligns with Corona’s brand identity, using blue and off-white tones while allowing the natural golden hue of the raw wood to symbolise Corona’s signature colour.
“To bring these stories to life visually, we built a storytelling structure within each key visual,” Maciel noted. “There’s one where a big hand is trying to catch the world’s smallest fish, with the tiny fish just beneath the water’s surface. It all has movement; it all tells a story.”
The ambitious 60-second animation for the hero commercial, The Cracked Island, legend integrates this handcrafted aesthetic into a flowing narrative about a fisherman’s encounter with a massive catch that splits an island in two — teaching a lesson about taking only what you need.
Black Madre’s approach went beyond conventional techniques. Rather than creating single carved pieces, the team developed multiple layers of carved wood that were overlaid to create three-dimensional compositions with sophisticated lighting effects.
“Because of those layers, we were able to shape the lighting: background light, frontal light, and so on,” Maciel said. “These layers were essential to compose the final lighting setup for the photographs. The lighting is a crucial part of the work because it helps define and enhance the carvings.”
The hand-made book, which is currently in development, incorporates materials authentic to maritime life – including canvas from boat sails, fishing net textures, and bamboo wood similar to that used for oars. Designed to physically resemble a boat, the book will take readers on a journey through five traditional legends, with pop-up elements that bring the stories into three dimensions. This tactile experience reinforces the campaign’s connection to the authentic world of the fishermen storytellers.
Credits:
Agency: Africa Creative
CCO: Sergio Gordilh
CO-CCO: Nicholas Bergantin
Creative Directors: Lucas Menegotto, Raphaela Filippetto, Pedro Galdi, Pedro Rosas
ACDs: Lucas Andrade & Raphaela Filippetto
Copywriter: Lucas Menegotto
Co-COO: Heloísa Pupim
Account Management: Rafael Marques, Luisa Pires
Media: Thiago Martinez, Caroline Richa, Amanda Santana, Thiago Hirata, Pablo Meira and Elena Sanita
CSO: Ana Paula Kuroki
Head of Creative Strategy: Pedro Fernandes
Planning: Giovanni Cozer
Production Team: Rodrigo Ferrari, Tais Olhiara, Nathalia Trindade, Debora Souza
Production Company: Recôncavo Company
Director: Eduardo Sa
Executive Production: Nixon Freire
Executive Coordination: Nalva Lima
Director of Photography: Guilherme Nunes
Production Director: Breno Oliveira
Editing & Colour: Guilherme Nunes
Animation Production Company: Black Madre
Creative Director: André Maciel
Executive Director: Tina Castro
Head of Planning: Le Alves
Planning: Beatriz Perrote & Tommy Martins
Executive Account: Giovana Destro
Head of Production: Laryssa Andrade
Production: Karla Milkem
Animation Direction: Maurício Fahd
Audio: LOUD+
Musical Direction: Gustavo Garbato
Photography: Rodrigo Pirim
Client: Ambev [Corona]
Client Team: Daniel Wakswaser, Gabriela Gallo, Caroline Ferraz, Camila Fisherman, Cibele Nunes, Yasmin Paulino, Anna Paula Pumar, Jaíne Fonseca
