DM9 Brazil | URIHI Yanomami Association

Insight:

60% of gold production in Brazil is illegal and happens in indigenous protected land, resulting in one of the worst humanitarian crises in Brazil’s history. Most of the metropolitan population needed to be made aware of what is happening to the Yanomami tribe in the heart of the Amazon Forest.

DM9 used the news and social platforms to generate enough outcry so people, elected officials, and the government would have to act.

We decided to leverage a high-profile global event dominating Brazil’s news cycle and social media: The Oscars Ceremony.

Impact:

Using all the details of the Yanomami folklore and history, we created a statue of the Yanomami Xamã and creator Omama. We sent it to key figures and 20 Oscar nominees, accompanied by a powerful message, to ignite change.

The initiative garnered so much buzz it stole the attention of dozens of elected officials who shared the idea, including Brazil’s President Lula da Silva, who, two days after the Oscars, announced measures to protect the Yanomami.