The São João celebrations represent an opportune moment for brands to develop sponsorship actions for the festivities
June festivities have been part of Brazilian culture for years and are impressive with the different numbers around amounts invested, people impacted, attractions, activations and brands. Several Brazilian states have celebrations during the months of June and July, but the Northeast region stands out, mainly, for the quantity and grandeur of June celebrations. The festivities last several days and impact millions of people.
São João de Caruaru, in Pernambuco, expects to welcome 3.5 million people in 72 days, in addition to 1,200 attractions. With an investment of around R$40 million, the event has an estimated turnover of R$650 million. São João de Campina Grande, in Paraíba, is expected to bring together 2.5 million people between May 29th and June 30th.
São João da Thay has attracted attention in recent years and had its sixth edition this year, in Maranhão. The event is created by social entrepreneur, content producer and presenter Thaynara OG, in partnership with the communication agency Waví. The initiative welcomed 25 thousand people between the 8th and 9th of June, and generated around R$15 million, promoting local tourism and impacting the lives of children, adolescents and young people with actions in favor of their rights.
Lasting almost 15 days, the action featured shows by Pabllo Vittar, Wesley Safadão, Alceu Valença, Ananda Paixão and Zaynara, as well as popular culture events. For the first time, an international attraction participated in São João da Thay, the Mexican singer Cristian Chávez, from the group RBD.
São João da Thay had more than 28 sponsor brands and was broadcast live to states in the Northeast and Pará, on TV Mirante. The event had iconic moments such as the meeting between Bumba Meu Boi and Boi Bumbá, and the unprecedented “spoiler night” of the new Disney and Pixar film, ‘Inside Out 2’.
With lots of music, dancing and typical food, São João is an opportune moment for brands to develop actions to get closer to Brazilians, in one of the best-known moments in the country. With campaigns strategically aligned to each company’s communication and with different objectives, brands have invested in June celebrations and played a fundamental role in sponsoring and supporting the events.
Created in 1991 for the Northeast, Deline has 33 years of history and is the vice-leader in margarine sales in Brazil. According to the company, the Northeast represents 35% of the margarine market nationally, with the highest consumption peaks occurring in the months of June and July. Therefore, the brand maintains a constant presence at the main June festivals in the region.
This year, Deline is sponsoring São João de Caruaru, São João de Arcoverde and the Festa do Cuscuz Gigante, in addition to eight other celebrations on the circuit. “Being the sponsor of such significant parties for the region, in addition to being an honor, is a reflection of our efforts to increasingly connect with the northeastern public and further promote the local economy”, says Marina Secaf, executive marketing manager by Deline.
In São João de Caruaru, the brand built Casa Deline, a 25m² space with activations and interaction with the public. In addition to, for the second consecutive year, sponsoring São João de Arcoverde, the second largest in the state.
In the Circuito das Comidas Gigantes, a regional tradition for over 30 years, in Caruaru, the brand is the exclusive sponsor of the largest couscous in the world, Cuscuz Gigante, produced in a four-meter-high couscous dish and estimated to weigh one ton.
Furthermore, this year, they once again have the Kombi Deline, which travels through strategic points in Caruaru, Campina Grande and Arcoverde with delicacies
juninas made with Deline margarines and gifts for the public.
Also airing on open TV throughout the Northeast is the brand’s new advertising campaign featuring celebrities Elba Ramalho and Márcio Victor (lead singer of the band Psirico). “Being present at the São João festivities in the Northeast is extremely important for us, as it brings us closer and connects us increasingly with our main audience”, says Marina.
In addition to sponsorships and activations, Deline also presented two new features: the São João special edition packaging for the entire portfolio, which includes 250 g, 500 g, 1 kg, 3 kg and 15 kg products, and the new Deline Milho, the brand’s corn-flavored margarine, exclusive to the North and Northeast regions, in line with a survey carried out by the brand which shows that the Northeast has the highest frequency of corn consumption in the country, with 25.8% compared to 11.9% from Brazil.
Deline has different partners for campaigns and activations. Agência Estalo is responsible for the brand’s sponsorship activations and brand experience, Africa Criative is in charge of the advertising and communications campaign, Weber Shandwick in public relations and Essence Match in CRM.
Perdigão is the official sponsor of São João de Caruaru for the first time, although the brand is already present in other events in the region, such as the Copa do Nordeste and, previously, São João da Thay. The company is also present at other June festivals in São Paulo.
During the festival in Caruaru, Perdigão focused on a variety of typical foods prepared with the quality and flavor of the brand’s products. According to the company, the Northeast is responsible for 26% of the national consumption of the company’s products and, when it comes to sausages, this percentage rises to 42%.
“Being present at São João de Caruaru is a way of reinforcing the brand’s identification with northeastern culture. It is a celebration of the people who are proud of their origins, gastronomy and music. For Perdigão, participating is a way to strengthen our Eat Together positioning, which brings us even closer to the Northeastern public”, says Rafael Gonçalez, executive manager of Perdigão. For the actions in São João, Perdigão relies on partner agencies AlmapBBDO and Ampfy.
Natura prepared different actions for the period. The campaign for the holidays invites ‘What if your smell made a party?’, promoting experiences and connections between the public and the brand. The company partnered with Pernambuco visual artist Joana Lira to illustrate this year’s São João campaign, with the aim of “materializing the colors, smells and affective memories that the festivities evoke”.
For São João de Campina Grande, the brand developed Vila Natura, where it provides an experience of well-being and entertainment, highlighting the favorite products from Casa de Perfumaria do Brasil. People who visit the spaces, within the 100 m² activation, will have contact with Kaiak, which, according to the company, is a leader in men’s perfumery throughout the Northeast, in addition to other well-known Natura perfumery brands, such as Essencial, Humor and Luna.
Complementing the experience in the space, there is an exclusive area for makeup, with the famous Una and Faces, for those who want to touch up their makeup between shows. Vila Natura is a 360º, interactive space with photo opportunities, which offers product testing, immersive experiences and fun games that can result in several brand prizes.
This is the second year that Natura actively participates in festivities in the Northeast. In 2024, the brand is present in Campina Grande (PB), Amargosa (BA), Irecê (BA) and Gravatá (PE). “We believe that these parties have the power to create memorable moments for our customers. We hope to provide surprising and enchanting experiences. The idea is to celebrate the June festivities and our connection with northeastern customers – a very important region for us”, says Denise Coutinho, director of marketing and communications at Natura Brasil.
Read the full article in the June 17th edition of propmark
