Carnival or ”Carnaval” the largest event in Brazil, has a significant influence on marketing, particularly in the fashion industry. After being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic for nearly three years, the return of this event is a crucial milestone for many brands. The festival’s impact on marketing and the fashion sector is undeniable, making it one of the key events for the market.
This year, the Brazilian carnival is expected to attract around 46M people, as it was stated by the Ministry of Tourism.
What exactly is the Brazilian carnival?
Carnivals are exuberant celebrations characterized by a vibrant and colorful atmosphere. These events can typically be divided into two main categories:
Samba School Parades:
People from all over the world travel to witness the spectacular samba school parades. Each samba school team dedicates over a year of preparation to ensure a seamless presentation. When the parade begins, each samba school will showcase its unique theme through its performance, costumes, and presentation.
The teams will then take to the streets in a procession, and their performances will be evaluated based on several criteria, including performance, costume design, theme, and overall presentation.
Street Carnival:
In addition to the parades, the public is also a crucial part of the festive celebration. During Carnival, people take to the streets wearing hand-made or store-bought costumes, and vibrant makeup and ready with cold drinks to dance and enjoy the festivities. You can expect to see people dancing to local music and following “trio elétricos,” which are trucks carrying VIP guests such as singers, celebrities, and bands.
These guests perform their songs and interact with the crowd during their own special parade. If you plan to join in on the festivities this year, don’t forget to stay hydrated!
Carnival: The return of the biggest spectacle in Brazil
After almost three years under a worldwide pandemic, this amazing event got this return this year. As the first year post-pandemic, without the preventive restrictions imposed, the public is looking forward to the carnival. In areas like Salvador (Bahia) and Ouro Preto (MG), it was estimated that the mass arrival of people will increase by 30% compared to 2020.
The Brazilian carnival’s return this year will have a great impact on our economy, attracting millions of Brazilians and foreigners to the festivities in the country. This only reinforces the strength of tourism, as an economic network capable of creating jobs and generating income for the population, as well as contributing to the appreciation of the national culture, much celebrated during the period.
Daniela Carneiro, Tourism Minister (2023)
The economic field is expected to experience significant growth, with the CNC estimating that the Carnival will generate an estimated turnover of BRL 8.1B (approximately USD 1.5B) throughout the country, which represents a projected increase of 26.9% compared to the results from 2020.
Additionally, the festivities are also expected to generate temporary job opportunities for Brazilians, with an estimated 24M job opportunities available during the festival period.
Fashion marketing during carnival
Fashion plays a significant role in Carnival celebrations, with many designers using the festive event as an opportunity to showcase their latest creations.
Since the beginning of the year, the clients, who are always in tune, were already sending me inspirations and requests for me to look for Carnival looks when traveling. I did a good research and brought fashion for all tastes and budgets. There are costumes, metallic tops, and tulle skirts, among other proposals for the girls to shine in the carnival parades.
Thaysa de Freitas, entrepreneur.
One trend that has gained popularity in recent years is the customization of abadás, a traditional costume worn by revelers. To meet the demand for personalized looks, the customization of abadás has become a thriving niche in the fashion industry.
Research conducted by Semrush, a platform for online visibility management and content marketing creation, shows a 124.2% increase in internet searches for the term “abadá customization” in the past year. In December alone, the search term “abadá custom” received over 49K searchs.
Aline Cavalcanti, Sebrae Pernambuco’s analyst, the entrepreneur that is looking to stand out during this festive period of time needs to increase production, opening up to the specific type of trends related to the Carnival event.
The seamstress who makes small repairs, can, suddenly, take the opportunity to customize the abadá, to produce some pieces. The manicurist who does stylized nails for Carnaval too. People who make masks, earrings, everyone who is already doing business can think about producing collections to take advantage of this moment
Aline Cavalcanti, Sebrae Pernambuco’s analyst for Folha de Pernambuco.
Paolla Oliveira, a well-known actress and influencer, takes the center stage during Carnival celebrations as the queen of drums for Grande Rio samba school. Her stunning handmade costumes, designed by the talented duo of André Bartolo and Márcio Ferreira, draw the attention of revelers and have established her as a standout personality during the festival.
We like to resignify Carnival productions, bringing to the revelry fashionable, couture elements that carry a lot of bangs, crystals, embroidery, and gemstones.
Marcio Ferreira Atelier, 2023
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