70 years of Volkswagen in Brazil

an analysis of deepfake in branded content

Abstract

This article analyzes Volkswagen's 70th anniversary campaign in Brazil, launched in July 2023. The campaign became famous for featuring singer Maria Rita acting alongside the digital reproduction of her late mother, Elis Regina, using deepfake techniques. To analyze the campaign, we do an archeology of the objectives for using branded content in advertising campaigns by authors related to the topic. We use Moura's branded content pillars (2021) as our main theoretical-methodological contribution, which proves that the content was, in fact, built with the aim of engaging the audience. We complement the analysis of the campaign's creative process with testimonials from its creators. We conclude that the campaign is a success for engaging the audience on social networks, promoting emotional reactions and debates on the topic of deepfake.