A phone created by a brand who understands everything about Carnival and nothing about cell phones AMBEV's Brahma beer is preparing to bring the same joy to other large events and gatherings by making it easy for partygoers and festival gatherers to leave their phones behind while remaining connected.
Brazilian Carnival, a spectacular showcase of carefree revelry, often sees its luster dimmed by concerns over personal belongings, particularly smartphones. Brahma’s response? The ingenious Brahma Phone: a device designed for festival-goers to carry into the heart of the party, stripping back to only what’s essential: calling, SMS, GPS, a transportation app, and an 8-megapixel camera.
This innovation lets party-seekers leave their high-tech worries behind, ensuring the celebratory spirit remains unbroken. Crafted in collaboration with Brazil’s Africa Creative of Omnicom Group’s DDB Worldwide, the Brahma Phone stands as a symbol of creativity and consumer connection.
We spoke to Nicholas Bergantin, Africa’s co-CCO, to learn more.
What was the brief for the rebrand?
Brahma has been the official beer sponsor of Carnival for many years. And in 2024, as an agency and brand, we challenged ourselves to create a impactful and innovative idea for Brazilian culture.
How did the initial pitch/brainstorming phase go?
Carnival is Brazil's biggest party. A place where millions of Brazilians dance, smile, and have fun. But there's a problem that prevents the party from being perfect: cell phone theft in the midst of the crowd. And to solve this, we thought of a phone so bad that no one would want to steal it.
Describe the purpose of the brand and its target audience
As a brand, Brahma always wants to create a perfect experience for revelers to enjoy Carnival to the fullest. From this goal, we found a solution to one of the biggest problems of Carnival: people's fear of having their cell phones stolen.
What was your thinking behind the rebranding solution?
It wasn't a rebranding of the brand, but rather a rebranding of how to enjoy Carnival.
Did you learn anything new during the project?
We learned that the closer and more connected we are with Brazilians' passions, the closer and more connected Brazilians will be to the brand.
What was the biggest challenge? How did you overcome it?
Brahma is a beer brand that understands everything about Carnival and absolutely nothing about cell phones. The biggest challenge was actually entering the cell phone market. Understanding how to make a phone bad enough to solve such a serious problem in a fun way.
What details are you most proud of any why?
Having truly changed the way people enjoy Carnival, without fear of having their phones stolen and completely joyful, was gratifying. And we felt the direct response from the public, as we were also the most talked-about brand of Carnival.
What do you hope it achieves for the brand?
We achieved the goal of being the most talked-about brand of Carnival. And from now on, we want to be increasingly recognized as the brand that brings intelligent and fun solutions to revelers.
What would you do differently if you could do it over again?
Nothing. We really love this campaign.
