Iconic Campaigns: Mercado Libre – Handshake Hunt

The popular Latin American e-commerce site Mercado Libre conducted the “Handshake Hunt” promotion on Black Friday, 2023. To make a splash in Brazil before Black Friday sales, Gut Sao Paulo developed the campaign. Instead of airing during commercial breaks, the plan was to include Mercado Libre bargains in Brazilian channel Globo’s programming. 
 
Gut accomplished this by spotting impending handshake scenes in TV shows, which it considered “the sign of a good deal,” and by analysing the Mercado Libre logo. When individuals shook hands during the specified moments, the screen displayed a QR code that linked viewers directly to contextualised deals from the shop.

The commercial encouraged people to search for handshakes in their favourite TV shows. Anytime a handshake appeared on the screen, it flashed a QR code for a discount. 

Boosting sales in Brazil was the goal of this fresh approach. The campaign used a variety of media channels, including product placement, outdoor, out-of-home, and sales promotions, to target the Brazilian online retail industry.
 
The campaign hit an all-time high. People started looking for handshakes in TV shows after seeing the promo. The corporation gave out more than 50 million coupons, and sales increased by 39% year-over-year overall and by an astounding 80% on Black Friday alone. Considering how many rivals battled in Brazil’s difficult market, this outstanding achievement stands out even more.