Publicidade de causa em torno de questões de raça: uma análise a partir da marca Vivara

Abstract

The present study aims to understand how Vivara positions itself regarding racial issues by analyzing advertising campaigns promoted by the brand between 2012 and 2023. To this end, the following main objective was outlined: to comprehend how Vivara positions itself on racial issues through an analysis of its advertising campaigns. This main objective gave rise to the following specific objectives: to select Vivara's advertising pieces published on Instagram that featured Black individuals for the first time, between 2012 and 2023; to identify whether Vivara addresses racial issues through the selected campaigns and respective comments; and to analyze the brand’s documents through the lens of cause marketing in relation to racial issues. To discuss race within the context of advertising, a historical overview of the inclusion of race in advertising was conducted. This topic highlights how black individuals, according to Fernandes (2021), were excluded from advertising productions because they were not seen as part of the consumer logic. In the subtopic "The Place of Black Women," the following authors are addressed: hooks (2020), Leite (2019), and Ernesto (2022). Based on their works, a panorama is established to identify the position of Black women in Brazilian advertising over the decades. Additionally, in the subtopic "Who Can Be Seen as Beautiful," the discussion revolves around how whiteness operates as the standard of beauty and how black features, according to Kilomba (2019), are denied, erased, and devalued when it comes to the beauty of black women. Furthermore, the study incorporates concepts of brand positioning, as outlined by Keller and Machado (2006) and Ries and Trout (2009), as well as discussions on consumption, based on Barbosa and Campbell (2006), and cause marketing, according to Santaella, Perez, and Pompeu (2020), Perez and Pompeu (2019), and Pompeu (2023). The methodology employed was document analysis, allowing for the examination of images found online as well as the analysis of comments available on the brand’s Instagram account. A total of 99 images from Vivara’s profile were selected, and 16 of these photos were chosen for detailed analysis. The analysis was divided into three categories: the appeal of cause marketing in Vivara’s campaigns; the women of Vivara; and how whiteness prevails. Upon completing the analysis, it became evident that Vivara does not take a stand on racial issues and merely employs cause marketing without yielding a positive impact for the brand in terms of female empowerment and diversity. Moreover, it was observed that the brand perpetuates a space for racism by failing to address the aggressive comments directed at black models and representatives of the brand.