Rio de Janeiro is Brazil’s renowned destination for the Carnival, the pulsating beat of Samba music, beautiful beaches, and more. Recently, however, I discovered that it’s also full of unique examples of out-of-home advertising. Specifically, I was impressed last year by the out-of-home ads for Rio’s annual Free Jazz event. This event, sponsored by Souza Cruz (a subsidiary of British American Tobacco), is a week-long gathering of some of the world’s best musicians. It attracts a young, upscale audience. In designing the promotional ads for the event, Souza Cruz ensured that the ads would embody a hip and creative element. Shown here are two promotional pieces that really stand out. Transforming a tunnel The Reboucas Tunnel is one of the city’s main thoroughfares between the beaches, downtown and the airport. Souza Cruz decided this would be an ideal location for a vinyl banner promoting the jazz festival. The vinyl was custom-printed to fit around the tunnel’s two entrances, and special lighting ensured that passers-by could see the advertised message day and night. Floating balls Another unexpected surprise from Souza Cruz was oversized beach balls displaying a Free Jazz graphic. The balls were tethered to the bottom of Rodrigo de Freitas Lake, a large and highly visible lake located between the beaches and downtown. At night, the balls came to life with internal illumination and attracted favorable attention from many radio stations and newspapers.