Official Bahia Commercial Seen as a Response to Bolsonaro

By Xiu Ying, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On Friday the 10th, the Government of Bahia launched a commercial noted for its representation of ethnic diversity, gender, and sexual orientation.

The piece, somewhat similar to the Banco do Brasil (BB) advertisement censored by Bolsonaro, has been seen by internet users as a “response” to the Federal Government.

Two weeks ago, Bolsonaro personally vetoed a Banco do Brasil commercial aimed at young audiences and marked by diversity.

In just under thirty seconds, the video featured young people with tattoos and colored hair, several of them black and a transsexual. The crisis led to the firing of the institution’s marketing director, Delano Valentim.

Last Thursday, BB’s chairman Rubens Novaes said he also did not like the film, which he considered too youth-focused.

“The president [Jair Bolsonaro] called me and said he had seen it before I did. That was a mistake. I should have seen it first. I watched the bank’s advertisement and I did not like it. I found it strange. Our goal is to reach out to all young people, those who were not featured in the advertisement, the young farmer, the athlete, the nerd.”

The Bahian government is headed by Brazilian Worker’s Party (PT) member Rui Costa, in his second consecutive term.