Nubank Takes Leslie David Baker to Brazil for a Much Needed Retirement

Imagine the following scenario: an American man in his 60’s moves to Brazil and tries to adapt to the local culture. The man, played by none other than Leslie David Baker, of American sitcom fame, is living his best life in Brazil, whilst he tries to keep his job back home. He’s a charmingly clueless, mistaking Samba for Mamboand even Portuguese for Spanish. To a certain extent, your typical gringo in Brazil.

Then one day, whilst watching a football match in Rio de Janeiro’s Maracanã, his trick is accidentally revealed. He’s imminently ‘retired’, albeit forcibly so.

Still, he persists, not only making the most of his time in Brazil but slowly becoming part of the social fabric. Learning local words such as ‘coxinha’, ‘pão de queijo’, but he ‘also learns what a boleto means’, the Brazilian word for bill.

What then unravels is an epic tale of rags-to-riches to rival the Wolf of Wall Street and Succession. Which sees the mundane American office worker turn into a global tycoon, with hilarious consequences.

Of course, all this is only made possible by Nubank’s financial solutions and products. What could otherwise be a bureaucratic hell, is made simple. In his own words “bypassing bureaucracy allowed me to make a fortune!”

Juliana Roschel, CMO for Nubank, provides the following insight on the campaign –"As part of our strategy to put the customer at the centre of all our decisions, we conceived a campaign that brings together the best of our products for individuals and businesses, contextualised in the film's story. And, to bring this plot to life, noone better than a super charismatic star known to Brazilians, like Mr. Leslie David Baker. Our goal is to show how Nubank can make people's lives easier by leaving complexity aside and offering simple services to give them back precious time and allow them to focus on what really matters: their plans and personal life.”

And Isabelle De Vooght, head of creative at Nubank’s in-house creative agency reiterated, “We had this plethora of products to show, ranging from business solutions to debit cards, but we knew that unless we told a compelling story viewers would switch off, so we decided to do what Mr.Baker does best. Top-notch, irony-filled,tongue n cheek comedic storytelling.”

Behind the Scenes

The campaign was shot over three days in Brazil, by award-winning director Rodrigo Saavedra, founding partner of production company Immigrant. With multiple awards at Cannes, D&AD and The One Show, this is another display of Rodrigo’s work at the forefront of Branded Content. His work for artists like Selena Gomez and DJ Snake, and brands such as Absolut, Renault, Scrabble and The Francis Ford Coppola Winery constantly sees him blur the boundaries between advertising and entertainment. “I am a big believer that if the content is truly engaging then people will watch it, no matter how long it is,” said Rodrigo of the film. “It was an absolute pleasure to be invited to collaborate in this project, 15 sec spots can be great, and they serve a purpose, but for real emotional engagement and true brand-building, a script like this is what any director dreams of.”

Immersive experience

In addition to the film, Nubank has also prepared a surprise for the actor's fans and the general public, who will have the opportunity to participate in an immersive experience in São Paulo starting on March 2. More information will be announced soon.