Another hybrid class successfully delivered! It’s always a pleasure to “come back” to my university (whether in person or virtually) to share my passions with the students: marketing, flamenco, Spain, and the creative economy.
Yesterday, I had the chance to talk about the creative economy and cultural industry in Spain, exploring both the differences and surprising similarities with Brazil’s creative economy.
In our fully hybrid setup, I joined the classroom via Zoom while Alessandra, my amazing partner in crime (and fellow Flamenco addict), managed the students and discussions on-site. This is what I call teamwork! Alessandra also brought some flamenco magic into the room — castanets, fans, and even her dance shoes to show them what flamenco really is.
Key Topics We Covered:
• The role of the creative economy in Spain’s GDP
• How cultural industries like music, dance, and theater contribute to the economy
• The influence of public policies in fostering creativity — Spain’s focus on internationalizing the arts versus Brazil’s focus on democratizing culture
• Spanish initiatives that could inspire Brazil’s cultural scene
• How cultural identity influences marketing campaigns and branding strategies
Spain’s creative economy represents roughly 3.2% of its GDP, with strong investments in exporting cultural products and promoting Spanish arts abroad. Meanwhile, Brazil’s creative economy public policies largely aims at increasing accessibility and inclusion in cultural spaces — both essential but quite distinct approaches. This contrast sparked a great conversation about how Brazil could benefit from adopting some of Spain’s strategies to further boost its creative industries across the entire year.
Flamenco vs. Carnival: A Cultural and Economic Parallel
A great discussion point was the missed opportunity for Brazil to take a page from Spain’s book. In Spain, you can immerse yourself in flamenco culture all year round — from tablaos to festivals to local bar performances to exploring clothing and musical instrument stores. Meanwhile, in Brazil, Carnival is mostly limited to that festive February week (plus the “warm-up rehearsals,” as we call them, that usually start right after New Year’s and build up to Carnival). Imagine if we extended the Carnival spirit year-round!
Samba pop-up shows in parks, costume exhibits in shopping malls, or even spaces fully dedicated to a Carnival experience — especially for tourists. How many jobs could this generate? How much revenue could this movement create — directly and indirectly — by transforming Carnival into a year-long cultural engine? There’s a massive opportunity here that Brazil could tap into, and we spent some time brainstorming those possibilities.
The Marketing Around Key Cultural Symbols
Now, back to my marketing comfort zone — I couldn’t resist sharing some stunning examples of how brands leverage flamenco and other cultural symbols in their campaigns.
Cruzcampo nailed this with a powerful campaign that blended Andalusian pride, flamenco aesthetics, and a bold message of cultural authenticity. Their ad featuring Lola Flores (yep, the iconic flamenco singer herself, brought to life through AI) was a masterclass in blending tradition with technology. The result? A moving tribute to Spanish identity that felt both emotional and empowering.
Then there’s Tussam, Seville’s public transport system, which embraced flamenco in a memorable campaign promoting bus routes to key venues hosting concerts during the Bienal de Flamenco de Sevilla.
Not to mention the beautifully produced videos that the city promotes around iconic events that draw millions of visitors — both national and international — to Spain each year.
Here’s my favourite one from The Feria de Sevilla:
And here’s The Holy Week, which is super-uber-duper celebrated in Seville and fills the city with people everywhere. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to experience Holy Week in my first year in Seville because — plot twist — it rained the entire week. And when it rains, Holy Week events are canceled because the sacred images are too delicate to risk exposure to water. It’s impressive how devastated people get when this happens, especially since they rehearse all year just for this one week. (Sounds like Brazil’s Carnival, doesn’t it?)
I’ll leave you with an older Holy Week video.
Wrapping It Up
Cultural identity is powerful — and when harnessed correctly, it creates memorable marketing campaigns that connect deeply with audiences. Spain has mastered the art of embedding flamenco and other cultural elements into everyday life — not just as a cultural staple, but as a powerful economic engine.
Brazil has all the potential to do the same with Carnival and samba culture — and I’d love to see brands in Brazil push this further.
Huge thanks to Alessandra for being the best classroom partner-in-crime, and to my university for giving me yet another platform to geek out about marketing, flamenco, and cultural economics. I can’t wait for the next one!
And of course, I couldn’t end this post without sharing my very favourite campaign from my favourite city in the world. So, here’s the Seville City Brand promotional video, released in 2021 — a beautiful reminder of why I love this place so much.