Gavião Kyikatejê FC: Kyikatejê
Gavião Kyikatejê FC, Brazil's first professional indigenous football team, struggled to secure sponsors despite their achievements due to deep-seated prejudice. Area 23 New York was tasked with finding a way to attract corporate investment and secure the club's financial future by challenging the xenophobic "team of Indians" narrative and proving the team's professional value to national brands and the Brazilian public.
Creative Idea
Reclaimed a racial slur by offering a blank jersey to brands on national television.
The campaign reclaimed the xenophobic slur "team of Indians" by showcasing the club's professional excellence through a cinematic film, then used a blank jersey on national TV to shame brands into providing the sponsorship the team had earned but never received.
Turning a Racial Slur Into Seven Seasons of Sovereignty
From Slurs to Sponsorship
The campaign was a direct response to a July 2024 incident where Palmeiras coach Abel Ferreira used the derogatory phrase "time de índio" (team of Indians) to describe a disorganized team. By reclaiming this slur as a badge of professional honor, the club secured R$500,000 per year in long-term sponsorships - the first in its 15-year history. This funding is enough to guarantee the team’s financial operations for the next seven seasons. Beyond the balance sheet, the film earned a permanent place in the Museu do Futebol in São Paulo, forcing the Brazilian football establishment to acknowledge the 1.7 million Indigenous people largely ignored by the sport.
16mm Grit and Amazonian Authenticity
Director Luiz Whately and the Balma Films crew shot the campaign on 16mm film deep within the Gavião village to achieve a raw, organic texture that digital sensors could not replicate. The production rejected professional actors, featuring only members of the Kyikatêjê tribe. To ensure cultural integrity, the soundtrack by Bumblebeat incorporated the community’s original Jê dialect and linguistic elements. The visual language was further enriched by Dirty Work, who created hand-painted animations inspired by traditional Kyikatêjê body painting and mythology.
The Legend of Number 9
A central figure in the narrative is the late Aru Sompré, the club's legendary striker who passed away in 2018. The campaign helped cement his status as the "patron saint" of the team, leading the club to officially retire the number 9 shirt in his honor. Even the team’s badge carries deep symbolism - it is shaped like a spearhead to represent the dual identity of the players as both professional athletes and warriors.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
A professional football club with deep indigenous roots and a history of overcoming systemic exclusion.
Category
Football sponsorship usually ignores smaller, marginalized teams in favor of mainstream clubs with massive existing fanbases.
Customer
Indigenous people and fans wanted respect and recognition for their professional contributions to Brazilian sports culture.
Culture
A high-profile coach's racist remark sparked a national conversation about the casual xenophobia embedded in Brazilian football.
Company
A professional football club with deep indigenous roots and a history of overcoming systemic exclusion.
Category
Football sponsorship usually ignores smaller, marginalized teams in favor of mainstream clubs with massive existing fanbases.
Strategy:
Reclaim a derogatory cultural label to transform systemic exclusion into a high-visibility commercial opportunity.
Customer
Indigenous people and fans wanted respect and recognition for their professional contributions to Brazilian sports culture.
Culture
A high-profile coach's racist remark sparked a national conversation about the casual xenophobia embedded in Brazilian football.
Strategy:
Reclaim a derogatory cultural label to transform systemic exclusion into a high-visibility commercial opportunity.
Results
The campaign achieved significant impact, including over 67M people reached and +48M in earned media. Social media engagement reached 1,324%. The movement successfully secured Banpará Bank as an official sponsor, with total sponsorships growing from zero to R$500,000 annually. The team's jerseys sold out for the first time. The funds raised are sufficient to secure the club's next seven seasons.
67M
people reached
1,324%
social media engagement
R$500k
annual sponsorships
Strategy Technique
Turn Weakness Into Strength
By taking a derogatory term meant to belittle their organization and using it to prove their superior discipline and history, they forced the market to see their value.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Fight prejudice
It directly confronts a common Brazilian racial slur used in football, reframing it from a description of disorganization into a symbol of indigenous pride and professional resilience.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
The campaign's power lies in its raw, authentic cinematography and the clever use of media planning to turn a negative slur into a sponsorship opportunity.
The use of 16mm film in the Amazon provides a tactile, timeless quality that honors the indigenous subjects.
Strategically launching on a major football show to hijack the conversation and directly solicit sponsors was a brilliant tactical move.
The hand-painted animations add a unique, artisanal layer that reflects the community's artistic heritage.
The script effectively reframes a derogatory phrase into a rallying cry for respect and organization.
The synergy between the cinematic film and the real-world media stunt created a narrative that was impossible for brands and the public to ignore.
