Verified Brazil With the United Nations

Challenge

When the COVID-19 crisis began to reverberate in the whole world, people everywhere started looking for information on how to prevent themselves and how to help each other. Once a minor problem, disinformation became a global crisis, hampering several efforts to contain the pandemic. Moreover, the lack of resolute actions by many governments to provide reliable information on preventive measures has triggered more and more challenges.

Strategy

COVID-19 misinformation is like a virus that is spread by people, and to defeat it we must help demobilize disinformation ecosystems and reach multiple audiences around the world with accurate, science-based information.

The “Verificado” project aims to challenge media environments congested with disinformation by improving access to COVID-19 verified information, changing media consumption habits to limit the spread of fake news.

For that, Purpose created reliable, captivating and shareable content with three focuses: Science, Solutions and Solidarity. In order to reach diverse audiences on a variety of channels, we also partnered with civil society organizations, artists, media outlets, brands, influencers and celebrities, who all engaged with the project in multi-handed interventions under one mission: to fight misinformation and its catastrophic effects in the context of the pandemic.

Theory of Change

If Purpose manages to mobilize several collaborators to jointly create and share reliable information by means of engaging and accessible content, we will be able to reach more and more people with relevant messages to combat COVID-19, thus reducing the misinformation consequences in the context of the pandemic.

Action

Purpose and the UN launched the “Verificado” project to create and share content that breaks the misinformation cacophony, with the cooperation from brands, organizations, artists and celebrities who connect with online and offline audiences. Among collaborations are Brazilian fact-checking agency Lupa, Gloob children’s channel, Cartoon Network, and Monica and Friends, well-known comic book brand for children and youth.

The collaborations set up in the context of the “Verificado” project had a greater objective than simply amplifying content: they were a way of reaching diverse audiences that don’t necessarily seek this type of content proactively. For example, together with CNBB (National Conference of Brazil’s Bishops) and Brazilian Cáritas, we promoted a mass in tribute to COVID-19 victims, with a special projection on Rio’s Statue of Christ the Redeemer and a special message from Pope Francis.

Considering people who, for various reasons, could not stay at home, we took the “Verificado” content to media slots on Sao Paulo’s subway lines.

In order to connect with children by providing reliable explanations in an accessible language, we partnered with Gloob channel and produced a 4-episodes web series in which Brazilian doctor and medical science popularizer Dr. Drauzio Varella answered frequent questions on COVID-19 vaccines.

To amplify the reach of “Verificado” content, we relied on the engagement and collaboration of celebrities and influencers, as well as media platforms such as TikTok. 75+ celebrities and influencers engaged in the #OnlyUnited campaign.

Cartoon Network

We also worked in collaboration with Turner, through Cartoon Network, to produce comic strips that alerted people to the dangers of misinformation. Together we developed strips of Gui & Estopa, Zuzubaland and Brother of Jorel.

The action reached more than 23 million people through traditional media and social networks, and the value of the media coverage exceeded R$8 million.

Monica & Friends

With Monica and Friends, we produced ludic and educational content about prevention actions against COVID-19. More than 49 media vehicles publicized this collaboration, reaching more than 48 million people.

The collaboration also included the « Information Saves Lives! » exhibition, which took the Monica’s Gang characters to the yellow and lilac subway lines in São Paulo.

Street Art

In honor of the indigenous communities, disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, we invited artist Tito Ferrara to paint a graffiti mural in the heart of São Paulo, on Consolação Street.

The action also included a mini documentary, narrated in Portuguese and Apurinã by Kanynary Apurinã, with a soundtrack by Kaê Guajajara. Besides impacting the thousands of people who pass by there every day, the action reached more than 17 million people through traditional media.

TikTok

In collaboration with TikTok Brazil, Purpose carried out a campaign activation that included a landing page, a challenge proposed by TikTok creator @apollo (1.4M followers) and 3 lives with disinformation specialists, gaining more than 459,000 views.

We created an Instagram filter inviting the public to commit to “yes” or “surely” verifying the source of the information, checking the date, thinking about where it came from and pondering why to share it.

In response to the disinformation infodemia, Verificado project also launched the campaign, « Pause. Take care before you share. »

Pause is not a traditional media literacy campaign – it’s an attempt to come up with behavioral changes in the way people share content online. Its goal is to act right on the moment when billions of people share/ forward/ send incorrect information in an immediate manner, by encouraging them to take a simple break to halt emotional responses and activate critical thinking on the content they are about to share.

One of Pause’s campaign activationsin Brazil campaign took place during the football game between Vasco da Gama and Corinthians, for the Brazilian Championship. The symbolic message was brought to the field by the players of the opposing teams, united for one same cause. By taking to the field a banner with the “Pause” message, the teams showed we can and should all adhere to this behavior change, regardless of “which side we’re on.”

This was the first global behavior change campaign on disinformation to engage disinformation experts, researchers, digital influencers, civil society, governments, and media platforms under one single message.

From the US to Europe, to Africa, to Latin America and to India, we reached over 500 million people across social media, radio, TV and other media channels with the “Pause. Take care before you share” message.

In Brazil, the campaign had high levels of engagement by celebrities and reached different demographic audiences with digital actions and content shared also offline.

Videos

In collaboration with Agência Lupa, the first fact-checking agency in Brazil, we have produced a series of 4 humorous videos debunking some of the main rumors about the use of masks, vaccines, and miracle cures that have circulated in Brazil.

In collaboration with Quebrando o Tabu, we produced a « SAC Quebrando Vacina contra COVID-19 » with Vitor diCastro, who answered questions asked by the channel’s Instagram followers (@quebrandootabu, 7M followers), using official UN sources.

Instead of revelry, the Carnaval of São Paulo 2021 was marked by the campaign « Todos Pelas Vacinas » (All for Vaccines). More than 60 volunteers produced in the early morning hours a giant painting of almost 1,000 square meters with the message #AllForVaccines. The initiative received a visit from Rei Momo and the first couple of ballerina and flag-bearer of Vai-Vai.

The HALO Team, COVID-19 BR Observatory, NPV/USP, Pro-Vaccine Union, and the Verified project, among other institutions, were involved. In total, the activation yielded more than 1h25 of TV coverage and attracted more than 113 million unique visitors in the stories published in Brazil and abroad.

On July 15 and 16, the #EveryOneofUs Festival took place with the support of TikTok, which brought together music of various styles! With mix of lives with lots of music and testimonials, more than 227,000 views were united by the fight against the pandemic.

We had performances from singers Fiuk, Larissa Manuela, Kell Smith, Melim, Carlinhos Brown, Afonso Nigro, GragQueen, Vitor Kley, Paulo Miklos, Negra Li, Mariana Rios, Luisa Possi, João Guilherme. As presenters, we had Thelminha, Bruno De Luca, André Vasco, Giovanna Rispoli, and Fiuk. And we also have special statements from Adriana Esteves, Vladimir Brichta, Cafú, Denilson, Luizão, Rubinho Barrichello, Cacau Protásio, Caio Ribeiro, Lucão, and Maurren Maggi.

In collaboration with the Brazilian Olympic Committee, we developed the #UmSóTime campaign, which included a teaser video, a program on the Olympic channel about curiosities and prevention measures during the Olympics, a fan kit for influencers, OOH in São Paulo subways, an Instagram filter and cards for social networks. On social networks the reach was greater than 1.7M people, while the 20+ articles published in the media had a reach of 4 million unique visitors.

With the Brazilian Paralympic Committee and Quebrando o Tabu, Purpose continued the campaign by including cards and stories from the athletes for social networks, assets for UN Brazil channels, an Instagram filter, a video « Reading comments » and a live performance with Jojoca and athletes. There were more than 1.9M reach and 235k reactions.

Verified has reached millions across the globe, and has gained attention from several media outlets, helping to amplify reliable and accurate COVID-19 information. Media outlets include The Guardian, Governo do Estado, & Vox News. Several Verified campaign activations have also been featured on UOL, such as the Cartoon Network collaboration, the São Paulo street mural for Indigenous communities, and the Christ the Redeemer mass tribute. 

Verified Brazil reached more than 440 million people, crossing borders, which could only be possible thanks to a brilliant team of collaborators.