The Amazon rainforest is in serious trouble. Deforestation is leading to desertification. The Amazon basin’s rivers lost 120 trillion litres of water in 2023 alone, with illegal logging emerging as a leading cause of environmental degradation.
To draw attention to the harsh truth bout the struggles of this critically important piece of the planet, telco Vivo, the most sustainable company in Brazil and the whole of Latin America, joined forces with indigenous communities and environmental organisations to launch the Amazon Desert Rally.
The fake desert race, conceived by Agency Creative, juxtaposes a wild fiction with an even wilder reality of vast environmental destruction. It aims to shed light on the alarming rate of river drying in the Amazon basin and mobilise public support for urgent conservation efforts. 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.
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 people to consider the origins of the wood products they purchase and advocate for sustainable practices.
Fernando Julianelli, CEO of Vicar, Stock Car’s promoter, commented “By eschewing Amazonian resources, even within our homes, we can contribute to forest preservation.”
The campaign launch film, shot on the Rio Branco in Roraima, portrays a dystopian future where indigenous people from the Paiter Surui village train for a race on dry riverbeds. The rally symbolises the potential disappearance of the Amazon as the people know it, their ancestral homeland.
“Without water and without forests, humanity will lack the vitality to rally,” stated Almir Surui, president of the Paiter Surui territory and UN-appointed Forest Hero.
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.
To intensify the message and build a movement against desertification, visual arts studio, Black Madre, developed and produced seven woodcut printed posters using simple graphic language – a relief engraving sculpted in a wooden matrix. Vivo invited seven indigenous artists to create the posters, highlighting the environmental impact of deforestation. They were shown 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,” commented Paulo Moutinho, senior researcher at IPAM.
As the first official non-sponsor of Amazon Desert Rally, Vivo has pledged its commitment to using certified wood and opposing illegal deforestation.
