Cannes Lions
GREY BRAZIL, Sao Paulo / RECLAME AQUI / 2019
Awards:
Overview
Entries
Credits
Background
Brasília is the capital of Brazil. It is a city created 60 years ago to be the base of Congress.
That's why almost no congressman lives there. Thus, weekly, 600 politicians go and return
from their hometowns to the capital city. That means almost 5 thousand trips a week. That's
U$ 15 million a year. Approximately 25 million miles accrued in mileage programs. Except for
the fact that, if the ticket was bought with public money, the miles belong to the people.
However, they are not for anyone; only those who really need to fly but cannot afford to.
People without financial means and with real the need and urgency to have surgery or
treatments, to participate in sports competitions or to present scientific theses or join
universities. All proven by a board of lawyers at Reclame Aqui.
Idea
Every week, almost 600 congressmen fly from their cities to the Brazilian capital. Almost 5,000
trips per month. 15 million dollars a year. About 25 million miles accumulated. But if the
tickets were paid with the public money, the miles belong to the people. But not for anyone.
Only for those who have real need to travel and can’t afford it. People in need for health
travels, culture, sport and education. To make the politicians give back their miles, we went
after them. First, at the national congress. Then putting pressure on social networks. And even
being supported by deputies who took the project inside the national congress presenting as
agenda, among other subjects also important for the development of the country. On a
website, politicians could register their miles and make them available to Brazilians who were
approved by Reclame Aqui lawyers.
Strategy
Brasília is the capital of Brazil. It is a city created 60 years ago to be the base of Congress. That's why almost no congressman lives there. Thus, weekly, 600 politicians go and return from their hometowns to the capital city. That means almost 5 thousand trips a week. That's U$ 15 million a year. Approximately 25 million miles accrued in mileage programs. Except for the fact that, if the ticket was bought with public money, the miles belong to the people. However, they are not for anyone; only those who really need to fly but cannot afford to. People without financial means and with real the need and urgency to have surgery or treatments, to participate in sports competitions or to present scientific theses or join universities. All proven by a board of lawyers at Reclame Aqui. To recover the miles for the people, we went after the politicians in Congress. Next, we used the immense online engagement base of Reclame Aqui to put pressure on them. And it worked.
Execution
After accessing the expenses in tickets of each of the almost 600
congresspeople, we arrived at the absurd sum of USD 15,000,000.00 per year in tickets. About
25 million miles. Then we went after them to ask for the return of the miles that had been paid
for with public money. At the door of the national congress, we recorded a video where some
of them pledged to return the miles and some did not. Then we used Reclame Aqui's
engagement on social networks to pressure politicians. And the people joined. Thousands of
messages asking for the miles back were sent to politicians; profiles. For the congressmen to return the miles, it was simple: just go to the campaign website, register your miles and make
them available for one of the cases approved by the lawyers at Reclame Aqui. More than 20
flights were carried out in two months, allowing treatments, sports competitions inside and
outside the country and the presentation of a scientific thesis. More importantly, it spawned
millions in spontaneous media, awakening the population to something that no one had ever
realized. Who kept the miles generated by the
Outcome
Over USD 138 million in spontaneous media, 260 MM people reached online, TV and radio. In
addition to thousands of Tweets, Facebook posts and Instagram, the political class gave in to
"Miles for the People" and began to return the miles that belonged to the people. More than
20 flights were made viable in just two months of campaigning. The subject awakened the
whole country and was the main agenda of the television, internet, radio, newspapers and
magazines. Even Linkedin's No. 1 influencer in Brazil, who is the host of Brazil's leading
economic political newspaper, published the project spontaneously. Two Federal
Congresspeople took the project to be debated within congress. And finally, a third Federal
Congressman created the bill that returns to the population the miles generated on flights paid
for with public money.