Baco Exu do Blues: Bluesman
Baco Exu do Blues, an underground rapper from Northeast Brazil, tasked AKQA São Paulo with launching his second album, "Bluesman." He wanted to amplify his message against institutional racism and empower the Black community. The challenge was to transition from a niche artist to a mainstream cultural force while sparking a national conversation about racial identity and the systemic devaluation of Black culture in Brazil.
Creative Idea
Used a short film's "running man" twist to expose the audience's unconscious racial biases.
Launched the album via an eight-minute film that subverted racial stereotypes by framing a man running as a criminal act, only to reveal he was late for work, transforming a musical release into a nationwide movement for Black pride.
The Underdog That Beat The Louvre
The Silver Standard of Purity
While gold is the traditional symbol of wealth, the creative team at AKQA São Paulo and Stink Films intentionally chose Silver as the campaign’s visual anchor. They argued that gold is often associated with white-dominated systems of value, whereas silver represents a "pure" and reflective element of Black culture that has been historically overlooked. This aesthetic was brought to life at Ocupação 9 de Julho, a historic São Paulo building that serves as a symbol of social resistance and housing rights. To maintain authenticity, the production cast African immigrants and local residents of the occupation rather than professional extras.
Reclaiming the Bluesman Identity
The campaign triggered a massive cultural shift in Brazil, with thousands of fans adopting the term "Bluesman" on social media to reclaim their identity against institutional racism. This movement translated into a 495% increase in monthly Spotify listeners and propelled the album to Gold and Platinum status. Singles like "Te Amo Disgraça" reached Diamond certification, proving that a protest-driven narrative could achieve mainstream commercial dominance.
Toppling the Giants of Pop
The project is legendary in the industry for its "underdog" victory at the 2019 Cannes Lions. It competed directly against Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s "Apeshit," which featured a high-budget production filmed inside the Louvre. The jury, led by Paulette Long, ultimately chose Baco’s work for its deep community engagement and its ability to turn a music video into a social manifesto. Director Douglas Bernardt utilized the "running" trope to force viewers to confront their own unconscious biases, as the protagonist, played by Kelson Succi, is revealed to be running for his job rather than from the law.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
An underground rapper with a powerful message about racial identity and the historical significance of the Blues.
Category
Music marketing typically focuses on song snippets, flashy music videos, and standard social media promotion.
Customer
Black Brazilians seeking representation and a way to reclaim their value in a society that often criminalizes their existence.
Culture
Deep-seated institutional racism in Brazil that frequently leads to the unfair profiling of Black men in public spaces.
Company
An underground rapper with a powerful message about racial identity and the historical significance of the Blues.
Category
Music marketing typically focuses on song snippets, flashy music videos, and standard social media promotion.
Strategy:
Subvert ingrained social biases to transform a commercial product launch into a collective manifesto for racial pride.
Customer
Black Brazilians seeking representation and a way to reclaim their value in a society that often criminalizes their existence.
Culture
Deep-seated institutional racism in Brazil that frequently leads to the unfair profiling of Black men in public spaces.
Strategy:
Subvert ingrained social biases to transform a commercial product launch into a collective manifesto for racial pride.
Results
The campaign achieved significant cultural and commercial impact: 99% positive sentiment, reached #8 on the YouTube trending list, and saw a 130% increase in subscribers. On Spotify, monthly listeners grew by +495%, and the album surpassed +100 million plays. The project won Rolling Stone's 'Album of the Year' in 2018 and received numerous accolades including Best Music Video at the Berlin Music Video Awards and several other industry honors. It was hailed by media outlets like AfroPunk and Terra as a 'masterpiece' and a 'fight against oppression.'
+495%
increase in Spotify monthly listeners
100M+
album plays
99%
positive sentiment
Strategy Technique
Turn the Brand Into a Movement
Rather than just promoting songs, the campaign redefined "Bluesman" as a social identity and a manifesto against institutional racism, encouraging the audience to adopt the title as a symbol of excellence.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Reverse Expectations
The film triggers the viewer's unconscious bias by showing a Black man running, leading them to assume a crime occurred before revealing he is simply late, forcing a confrontation with internal stereotypes.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
The campaign's excellence lies in its profound use of visual symbolism and art historical subversion to challenge systemic racism.
The re-imagining of classical European paintings with Black subjects is a powerful visual metaphor for reclaiming cultural space.
The high-contrast lighting and dynamic handheld work create a visceral, cinematic experience that elevates the music video to a short film.
The lyrics and voiceover effectively bridge the gap between social statistics and poetic, personal empowerment.
The 'Silver' (Ag) branding system provides a cohesive and intellectually deep visual identity across all platforms.
The synergy between the cinematic film and the conceptual 'Silver' branding creates a multi-layered narrative that works both emotionally and intellectually.
