This poster is on the side of a bus stop in the middle of Praça Panamericana, a heavily-traveled area in Pinheiros. I literally stopped in my tracks when I saw it. It reads "FIFA World Cup. It's where everyone wants to be." And it shows the four animals from the Madagascar movie. I loved the Madagascar movie--I want to move it, move it springs to mind numerous times in São Paulo traffic.
But I'll say it here: this is the worst World Cup ad I have yet seen. Why do I think this?
1. Madagascar is not on our continent.
2. The four animals are looking terrified. Do they look as if they are wanting to be there? I assume that Visa was trying to make them look anxious about a goal being scored (on a beach? maybe not). Mostly they look like they're worried about a bus strike.
3. Not really sure what four zoo animals have to do with a payment card. It's not a feel-good ad. It's not a branding ad. I don't get it.
Back to business school, marketing geniuses. This is not good.
