Car ads are frequent visitors to comercial breaks. That makes achieving recall for any of them a challenge. But what if a real car ad was woven into a TV show’s storyline instead of airing during commercial breaks?
São Paulo creative agency, We, partnered with TV Globo’s telenovela Renascer, the world’s second-largest television network, to make that happen for BYD.
Brazilian soap operas are renowned worldwide for their intense drama, captivating characters, and compelling narratives. Despite being aired in more than 140 countries, these soap operas continue to hold a special place in the hearts of Brazilians. In 2024, when Chinese electric vehicle giant, BYD, set foot in Brazil, We spotted a distinctive chance to connect with millions of viewers each day – with an unexpected approach.
One of the biggest challenges was overcoming the skepticism of Brazilian consumers regarding a brand that had recently arrived on the market, known only in China. And the best way to do this was to integrate BYD into the daily lives of millions of viewers, to strengthen the brand’s message of innovation, accessibility, and sustainability. To truly become part of Brazilian culture, BYD needed to be naturally inserted into people’s everyday experiences, and the most powerful way to achieve this in Brazil was by immersing the brand in The Soap OperaVerse.
In order to do that, BYD joined forces with We and TV Globo, the world’s second-largest television network, to feature its brand in the soap opera Renascer (Rebirth), a 2024 adaptation of the 1993 classic. Rather than appearing in conventional ad breaks, BYD’s promotions became part of the storyline.
The innovative collaboration integrated a character into the storyline, a fictional chief creative officer, Eriberto Ramos, who conceptualised, proposed, and executed authentic BYD campaigns created by the brand’s actual marketing-advertising team.
“BYD has introduced a groundbreaking initiative in global television history,” stated Armando Araujo, CCO of We. “For the first time, a soap opera character presented real campaigns developed behind the scenes, making them appear as his work.”
Embedded within the storyline, the audience was given an in-depth look at BYD’s marketing strategies, featuring TV commercials, retail display materials, and branded content. The Character, Eriberto, also engaged in a crossover promotion, appearing on Globo’s game show, Sunday with Huck, and making in-show visits to BYD dealerships. With 24 integrated activations in total, the campaign established BYD as the leading brand for electric vehicles in Brazil. It also generated over 700 million online impressions, boosted in-store visits by 45%, and led to an 8x increase in searches for the brand with real purchase intent.
Credits:
Client: BYD
Client Team: Alexandre Baldy, Pablo Toledo, Anna Martins, Luiza Maciel & Vinicius Forstman
Agency: We
CEO: Fábio Rosinholi
CCOs: Armando Araújo e Eriberto Ramos
Chief Operating Officer: Alexandre Ugadin
Executive Creative Directors: Kleyton Mourão & Carlos Schleder
Creative Directors: Marcos Hosken & Leandro Marchiori
Creative Team: Armando Araujo, Marcos Hosken, Leandro Marchiori, Otavio Mastrogiuseppe, Victor Breda, Caique Dantas, Adriano Tozin & Sérgio Simões.
Account Team: Marina May Boturão, Luana Ide e Felipe Machado
Planners: Gisela Toledo, Daniel Rios & Fabiana Lopes
Media Team: Gustavo Gaion, Fabio Cruz & Ariane Denardi
Head of Production: Juliana Soares e Alessandra Salles
Production: Rede Globo & Carlos Máfia Films&Animation
Audio Production: Canja Audio Culture
