The Brazil Files: Without Limits
by Special Correspondent Wendi Muse
Tim, a Brazilian digital communications provider (cell phones, internet service, etc), recently launched an ad campaign entitled “Você, Sem Fronteiras,” which means “You, Without Limits.” “Fronteiras” is a Portuguese word* that means limits, borders, or restrictions, and is often evoked in reference to behavior, culture, and access to resources. In this ad campaign, Tim is encouraging its current and prospective users to think of all three contexts.
The first page of the ad reads: “ALGUMA COISA ESTÁ ACONTECENDO” (“something is happening”):
The second page reads: “UM HOMEM NEGRO COM NOME MUÇULMANO É PRESIDENTE DOS ESTADOS UNIDOS” (“a black man with a Muslim name is the President of the United States”)**:
The third page reads: “O PRÊMIO DE MELHOR JOGADOR BRASILEIRO DO MUNDO É DE UMA JOGADORA” (“the award for best Brazilian soccer player in the world belongs to a woman”)***:
The fourth page reads: “QUALQUER PESSOA PODE CARREGAR SUA PRÓPIA REDE” (“anyone and everyone can access their own wireless internet network”):
The fifth and final page of the spread reads: “É TEMPO DE MENTE SEM FRONTEIRAS” (“the time has come to have an open mind / a mentality sans limits”):
When I first saw the ad, a series of thoughts crossed my mind, but before I prejudice you, the readers, with my thoughts, I wanted to hear your first impressions. I will leave mine later via the comments section.
*I translated the Portuguese to make sense in English, not word-for-word, as that never quite works!
**Clearly, here they are talking about President Barack Obama.
***On page 3, they are referring to Marta Vieira da Silva, a Brazilian female soccer player who is considered the best female soccer player in the world.
Advertisement courtesy of Veja Magazine, March 19, 2009
Carmen Van Kerckhove is co-founder and president of
Luis wrote:
I’m not going to lie, I’m sort of feeling this.
There’s no denying of the immense historical shock of the United States, a postcolonial state built on the institution of chattel slavery and a colonial domination of smaller, darker countries, transitioning from a pseudo-aristocratic WASP President to a biracial President with a Muslim name. There is simply no accounting for it within current understandings of American history, politics, and racial ideology, and it demands, once we have a few more years behind us, a real, unsentimental scrutiny.
I think the surprise over the election of a woman as the best footballer of the year is sort of… dated. That’s might just be me.
Free wireless internet though! I could superficially say Brazil is behind in one way and ahead in others, but really different countries are just in different places on their own timeline–not some bogus universal timeline.
Posted 10 Apr 2009 at 8:38 am ¶
Luis wrote:
WAIT. The wireless isn’t free?
All compliments retracted.
Here’s hoping we can use the old TV bandwidth in the U.S. to pull off public internet access after television goes digital. That would be huge not only for education but also to grow the internet economy.
Posted 10 Apr 2009 at 8:56 am ¶
Logan wrote:
Luis: I know that the US for years has been planning for free wireless internet, and has been looking for people who can set up the field. Right now, there already is a certain sect of bandwidth already set aside (which I don’t think is the bandwidth TV occupies).
I also believe (at least it was my impression) that in Taibei/Taipei, Taiwan, they have free wireless blanketing the city. Taiwan is more ran on a county basis though, so I don’t believe it applies throughout the country and was just a Taibei/Taipei county issue.
I’m still not sure what exactly the ads are getting at. Are they trying to point out how everything is changing and that people need to get aboard, are they trying to use the change going on to promote their own internet use as an example of it, is there something I’m missing? I’m aware of the meaning of Fronteiras, but I’m not sure what the real goal of these ads are. It might help if I also knew of the social climate in Brazil so the ads would have more relevance.
On a personal note, I’m not really a fan of a large corporation taking a political stance (even if I agree with it) one way or another. Like, what I would care about in regards to a product would be the product, not the views of the company.
Posted 10 Apr 2009 at 9:27 am ¶
CVT wrote:
@ Luis -
“I think the surprise over the election of a woman as the best footballer of the year is sort of… dated.”
I would disagree with that one. A woman receiving that acknowledgement is HUGE. Soccer (football) is the biggest sport in the world, hands-down. And it has ALWAYS been about men’s soccer. In spite of the sport’s ridiculous international appeal, the women’s game has gotten very little attention – especially when compared to the domination of the men’s sport. The top male players are known in remote villages in every single country of the world, while female players are unknown.
So – I’d say this is a big deal, indeed (and when Brazil – the football juggernaut that it is – thinks any particular movement in that sport is a big deal; it very likely is).
Posted 10 Apr 2009 at 9:47 am ¶
wendi muse wrote:
it’s interesting that the comments have been about wireless internet and women footballers … my first reaction to the ad was to the mention of barack obama and the use of an interracial couple at the end. brazil, though highly diverse, still has a tendency to have more white males in political office (hmmm sound familiar?) than women and/or people of color…
the choice of the ir couple, in this case a black woman with a white man, was also an interesting, in my opinion, mainly because on television and print ads, tv shows, and films, we see more white (And when i say, i mean super white…blonde hair, fair skin, blue eyes style) women with white partners. again, even though the country is extremely diverse and there is a history of (open) interracial relationships and dating here, there is limited portrayal of it in advertising. the good life is white.
many of my brazilians friends also remarked that the use of a black female/white male pairing in an ad is still relatively new, esp. a dark black woman who appears to have natural hair. the idea of fair skin, european features, and straight hair are still sold as beauty (another article on this coming soon).
so it appears that being without limits jumps over into the personal realm too.
re: wireless internet…it works here just like it does in the states. you buy a router, you password protect it. or you buy your own personal network (that looks like a mouse) that you carry around with you whereever you go (it works like an internet card)
Posted 10 Apr 2009 at 10:23 am ¶
wendi muse wrote:
also, their use of “black” to describe obama is key. usually, people like him would be described as moreno, which is like…light-medium skin-toned person who has african descent (or darker features, even if not of african descent sometimes). i think their use of his own words to describe him is interesting, especially considering the growing black consciousness movement in brazil. barack’s election was super important to many brazilians of african descent (and others, if not for racial pride reasons, but for a sign that america was not going to be an enemy to the world anymore), and he shows that even in a nation which many brazilians consider to be very racist, a black man can be president…unlike in brazil, a country considered to be “sans racism/racial utopia,” but who can’t manage to elect nary a black public official (Except in rare cases and appointments!)
Posted 10 Apr 2009 at 10:30 am ¶
Alston Adams wrote:
@Logan: I think that the ads are just saying that they want to compare the social changes that are about breaking through barriers to the “limitless power that breaks barriers” that Tim can provide. (Funny: in a Canadian context, “Tim’s” has a completely different meaning. I’d love to see these ads in that context.)
Posted 10 Apr 2009 at 10:30 am ¶
wendi muse wrote:
sorry…one last little comment…when i saw the final page, i didn’t know if they were saying…take a leap, date a black chick! (my focus was not on the white guy as white men with light features are already lauded for their beauty by brazilian media) or hey, your IR relationship is exceptional, so be proud of yourself for doing something different/going against the beauty norm…
Posted 10 Apr 2009 at 10:42 am ¶
Luis wrote:
@CVT
I’ll definitely concede the point, particularly in the realm of football. I’m definitely aware of the imbalance in coverage, especially compared to, say, sports like track, skiing, tennis, whatever. I dig.
Posted 10 Apr 2009 at 10:42 am ¶
Kandeezie wrote:
What is with the woman in heels with the football? It’s as if she’s saying “don’t worry, I remember my place”. God forbid she competes and wins over men, they may call her *gasp* unwomanly.
Posted 10 Apr 2009 at 10:50 am ¶
Luis wrote:
“barack’s election was super important to many brazilians of african descent (and others, if not for racial pride reasons, but for a sign that america was not going to be an enemy to the world anymore), and he shows that even in a nation which many brazilians consider to be very racist, a black man can be president…unlike in brazil, a country considered to be “sans racism/racial utopia,” but who can’t manage to elect nary a black public official (Except in rare cases and appointments!)”
This is the essence of the problem in Latin America in general. The use of the history of accepted miscegenation, in contrast with the legal terror in the United States until 1969, in order to suppress debates about real inequalities. The election of Obama is a big STFU moment for Latin America. They can’t use the United States as a crutch and a shield for their own racial problems any more.
Frankly, I’d rather be openly hated, but also allowed mobility, than have some paternalistic “unity” and no chance for professional advancement.
That’s just me though. I’m crazy like that.
Posted 10 Apr 2009 at 10:52 am ¶
Whit wrote:
I particularly like the last panel, aside from it’s potential “look at me, dating a non-white, aren’t I progressive!” tinge, because the woman is dark-skinned, naturally tressed, actually wearing articles of clothing that require more than one yard of fabric, and the way she’s posed is awesome. She’s shown as an equal to the man, in front rather than behind, looking at the camera rather than at him. There’s a lot of great stuff going on in that last shot. A lot more than what’s normally seen in the mainstream media.
Posted 10 Apr 2009 at 11:40 am ¶
Miakka wrote:
Though seeing Barack marginalized as a “black man with a muslim name” makes me cringe, I think this ad effectively points out the unexpected advances we’ve made as a society.
It’s a bit much to associate it with wireless internet, but a respect the reach, and for the company to feature a black woman with a white man was a bold move, even by American standards (where you would typically see a black man with a white woman).
Posted 10 Apr 2009 at 11:40 am ¶
RJG wrote:
I’m on the fence with this.
On one hand, they’re pointing out great social progress.
On the other hand, they’re saying that their wireless service is comparable to great social progress.
I’m more leaning toward the ad being good, because recognizing good stuff happening in the world is never a bad thing, and advertisements need to advertise. The way things are shot remind me of United Colors of Benetton ads, at least the old school ones when Tibor was around, which decided to do some really artistic social commentary while also pushing their product.
I prefer these to the Kenneth Cole ads, which just grate on me because I’m not a massive fan of wordplay.
Posted 10 Apr 2009 at 2:08 pm ¶
Paz wrote:
WOW. They’re using a dark skinned black woman in an advertisement. That is amazing in Brazil.
Posted 10 Apr 2009 at 3:39 pm ¶
Marcela wrote:
“QUALQUER PESSOA PODE CARREGAR SUA PRÓPIA REDE”
This actually means” Any person can connect to the internet or establish an internet connection.
Posted 10 Apr 2009 at 8:46 pm ¶
Anouk wrote:
I’m conflicted on this one, too. I’m struck by the brown skinned model( (who is completely owning that shot, btw)- with the kinky halo of dark hair…you don’t get to see much of her type, meaning my type, of course. This sort of imagery instinctively appeals to the invisible little black girl in me. Even as a grown-up, ostensibly aware of the danger of conflating her personal worth with popular interpretation of WOCs, I still think its important for the younger generation of POC’s to see relatively innoucous images of people that look like them. This ad fits.
…Still, the entire thing commodifies “multiculturalism” and “activism.” To. sell. wireless. service. Maybe I’m nitpicking – I should be chuffed: it’s progressive for Brazil, right? Right.
Posted 10 Apr 2009 at 11:09 pm ¶
wendi muse wrote:
hey marcela
like i mentioned earlier, the translations are not literal/one for word. tim recently launched their personal wireless adapter line, hence my translating it as such (b/c they are referring to that). propia rede = your own network (network in this case being wireless)
Posted 11 Apr 2009 at 12:35 am ¶
little mixed girl wrote:
really, my first reaction was that the white house picture looks scary.
as if some hidden menace from a horror movie is going to pop out.
i don’t know anything about soccer players around the world, but i find it interesting that the lady is in a dress and heels in an empty stadium.
why not a uniform in front of a cheering crowd?
the pics themselves are quite artistic and good, but i feel like they give off a sense of loneliness and fear.
Posted 11 Apr 2009 at 2:19 am ¶
Medea wrote:
The soccer player wearing heels and a dress made me cringe, too. You can open your mind to change–but not too much change.
Perhaps it’s unimportant, but I wondered why they showed the White House, rather than Obama. There are no men of colour in the advertisement.
Posted 11 Apr 2009 at 9:33 am ¶
Hibbs4Prez wrote:
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Don’t care whether you are in the USA, Europe or South America. The safest route in advertisement, if you are using a black/white couple, is a white guy and a black woman (or a woman of color in general).
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Interesting point. But I think the WH picture works very well. It says it all.
Posted 11 Apr 2009 at 11:08 am ¶
Hibbs4Prez wrote:
Sorry about post above. I’m terrible with muy pasting. Let me try this again:
“the choice of the ir couple, in this case a black woman with a white man, was also an interesting, in my opinion, mainly because on television and print ads, tv shows, and films, we see more white (And when i say, i mean super white…blonde hair, fair skin, blue eyes style) women with white partners. again, even though the country is extremely diverse and there is a history of (open) interracial relationships and dating here, there is limited portrayal of it in advertising. the good life is white. ”
————————————————–
Don’t care whether you are in the USA, Europe or South America. The safest route in advertisement, if you are using a black/white couple, is a white guy and a black woman (or a woman of color in general).
“Perhaps it’s unimportant, but I wondered why they showed the White House, rather than Obama. There are no men of colour in the advertisement.”
—————————————————–
Interesting point. But I think the WH picture works very well. It says it all.
Posted 11 Apr 2009 at 11:10 am ¶
wendi muse wrote:
i think the use of Marta dressed super feminine was to show ok this is is a woman…to create a sense of contrast. that and the simple fact that marta herself is often dressed that way when not playing soccer. she’s pretty and she chooses to use that to her advantage in terms of getting sponsors, etc. and i agree, the white house pic is a little scary, huh? they distort the shape of the letters quite a bit
Posted 11 Apr 2009 at 11:31 am ¶
joselito from Brasil wrote:
I just want to point out:
1. the “black president” was not elected in Brasil.
2. the best female football(there’s not such a thing as soccer) player award was given by a international organization, nobody in Brasil gives a damn about about female football.
3. notebooks are prohibitely expensive for us, only hardcore geeks and rich people will have one. the same goes for internet access through cell phones. (so the white hipster guy is actually quite representative, that “look” is definitely upper-middle class here)
4. about the last spread, two words: benetton, OLD
5. the magazine that run this ad, named “Veja” is the brazilian print magazine equivalent of Bill Oreilly and Fox News
6. we have a federal customer’s rights organ. the phone companies are number one in number of complaints to this organ. phone company customer support here is like participating in a huge gay orgy. when you are not gay (nothing against orgies, i have a orgy friend, don’t flame me please).
unrelated: Wendi, try asking about the “elevador de serviço”(great tradition of the brazilian upper-classes)
Posted 12 Apr 2009 at 12:49 am ¶
joselito from Brasil wrote:
i’m assuming people won’t necessarily know this(either because of age or not living in Brasil), so, for context: those benetton ads DID run in Brasil during the 80s and 90s.
Posted 12 Apr 2009 at 12:57 am ¶
joselito from Brasil wrote:
another point: the prize for best female football player is complete different category from the actual best football player in the world prize (they have different elections,ceremonies,etc.) . a woman receiving a women’s only prize is not so impressive so the ad guys twisted the phrasing(or rather the facts) to fit the ad.
Posted 12 Apr 2009 at 2:04 am ¶
Ron wrote:
I think demographics play a large role in how the oppressed are identified in a society by those in power. Brazil having a large black population needed to divide black people up to create a white mythical majority. Many other societies create these mythical majorities at the expense of black people all the time.
Most blacks in the know consider brazil to be more racist than the US.
IR should never be the litmus test to measure a societies racial enlightenment.
My gut feeling is that the more racially mixed a society is the less racial enlightenment that society possesses.
Of course this all subjective so its only my opinion.
Posted 13 Apr 2009 at 11:01 am ¶
CrzyCatDC wrote:
I second Hibbs4Prez’s view
I think the image of the interracial couple is the typical face of interracial dating in Brazil. It’s common for black women, esp. darker-skinned black women to feel the need to date “lighter.” Many end up with older white men who exoticize Afro-Brazilian women. On the other hand, it’s considered a bit taboo for white women to date black men. I think you’d be hard pressed to find ads with black men and white women that didn’t have some racist undertone. Maybe just me. I was in Brazil for less than a year.
Posted 13 Apr 2009 at 4:26 pm ¶
wendi muse wrote:
crzy-print ads no, but on television, yes. and i still feel like the ad is different because it features a dark-skinned black woman with natural hair, which reinforces different beauty norms from that which we see in brazil on a regular basis (beauty = white/light skin, light eyes, straight hair)
Posted 13 Apr 2009 at 5:37 pm ¶
wendi muse wrote:
joselito, re your comments no. 3 and no. 5…
yes, notebook computers are expensive. the price, fortunately, is getting a bit lower because of the demand, so more people have access to personal home computers than in previous years. tim just wants to take advantage of that, obviously. re: comment 5…yes, veja has a tendency to be more conservative, but certainly not in the vein of fox news and oreilley. i think it presents some subjects in a very objective manner. the tim ad, however, is being run in several magazines, besides just veja
Posted 15 Apr 2009 at 3:13 pm ¶