The release of the new Brazilian National Team uniforms sparked intense debate among fans and commentators, revealing a gap between Nike’s creative intentions and public reception.
According to Nike, some details in the uniform were meant to bring back even more the (now weakened) connection between the team and the country’s population. However the backlash suggests otherwise.
THE CONCEPT BEHIND DESIGN & COLORING
The new blue secondary uniform was worn at the France x Brazil match, held at the Gillette Stadium in Boston. One of the main “surprises” is the Jordan Brand logo on the shirt – instead of Nike’s “swoosh”, we will see the classic Jumpman. In allusion to their campaign (which featured players like Vini Jr., Estêvão and Vitor Roque), the darker aesthetic came with turquoise and black details.
In an interview for ESPN Brasil, Sarah Mensah and Mackenzie Sam, Jordan Brand’s president and one of Nike’s designers, explained the “darker” ideas behind the shirt. The logo was a matter of legacy (which both have in their own sport) and the blue is one of Jordan’s signature colors, just like the Brazilian second jersey. Still, some fans did not agree with the use of the Jumpman instead of the traditional logo.
Many claim that the use of a logo that originated from a sport with a heavily north american tradition gives the wrong message, compromising at least a small part of the Brazilian identity and history in another sport, football – which , as a matter of fact, is not as big in the United States.
The print was a mix of the American brand’s aesthetic and Brazilian natural elements combined : a poisonous arrow-frog, the leopard and the anaconda. The goal was to make the players feel as dangerous as those animals on the field.
THE MAIN, AND CONTROVERSIAL, UNIFORM
The classic yellow uniform was heavily criticized among fans. But the criticism is not centered on the shirt as a whole, but the concept of some details that upset the Brazilian audience. Instead of “amarelinha”, the term used for the design color was “Yellow Canary”, referencing the uniform worn by the 1970’s Brazilian national team at the Mexico World Cup, which many thought was an exclusionary way of defining the shirt: not using the country’s main language.
But the detail that has bothered people the most is the use of the term “Vai Brasa” written inside the uniform and on the socks, as a supporting chant, which Nikeexplains that the goal was to generate a connection with the supporters. The problem, according to the audience, is that the term “Brasa” for referring to Brazil is not commonly used by the population of the country, nor a part of the culture. In terminology , it obviously comes from “brasa” (fire), in allusion to the tree that named the country: pau-brasil, whose red pigment was as dark as fire – but still, did not convince the Brazilians.
In addition, the sleeves and round neck shape are references to the 1998 World Cupuniform, which Brazil lost to France in the final game. Not only as a reference, they also claim it is a shirt easier to wear. Over the sides, a reference to the 2002 uniform can be seen, with green stripes.
THE DESIGNER
The new Brazilian National Team’s uniform was designed by Rachel Denti, who has been overly criticized over the past few days on the internet.
Nike’s Brazilian designer lives in Portland. Rachel studied graphic design at the University of Brasília, and Fine Arts at the Royal Academy Of Arts, in the Netherlands. She is famous for her signature use of geometric shapes and “codes” in her creations
CRITIC AND DEFENSE
Over the last weeks, the criticism has not stopped, heavily targeting Rachel. Many fans believe that the connection she tried to make was artificial and made no sense. During a livestream, the famous sports commentator Thiago Leifert defended the designer (who, as previously mentioned, was getting personal offensive comments and critics) and shared his thoughts on the jersey he received as a gift. “No one says ‘Vai Brasa’” claims Leifert. Later on, he explains that Nike’s researchers might have made a mistake by looking at famous social media accounts using the term, but not paying attention to the fact that the Brazilian people never say it.
Samir Xaud, the Brazilian Confederation’s president, gave an interview to ESPN Brasil on the topic. He reassured that he was not aware of the “Vai Brasa” slogan and will ask the brand to remove it, replacing it with the country’s actual name: “what was first presented to me did not have ‘Brasa’ on it, but we knew there would be a Pre-Cup publicity campaign”.
In the end, Nike came up with a visual identity that tried to bring the concepts of “Joga Sinistro” (as opposed to the classic “Joga Bonito”) and “Alegria que Apavora” into the uniform, aiming to boost confidence (with the team appearing “scary” to rivals) and strengthen its connection with the Brazilian people, however in practice, the reaction showed that this conection may not be so easily recreated.
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The article above was edited by Rafaela Mina.
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