Turn off the auto mode - Bienal Sao Paulo | Clapboard Ad Archive

Bienal São Paulo’s 2018 campaign Turn off the auto mode, created by Tech and Soul, challenges audiences within the recreation and leisure market to break free from habitual disengagement and rediscover the power of conscious, active participation in art. Centered on the metaphor of switching off life’s autopilot, this film invites viewers to abandon passive consumption and instead immerse themselves fully in the transformative experience offered by the 33rd edition of the Bienal. By positioning the event as a cultural antidote to routine, the campaign employs a symbolic narrative that aligns with what Clapboard’s taxonomy identifies as FORMAT#3—Symbolize the Problem—eschewing literal depictions or direct explanations in favor of an evocative call to mindfulness and creative reflection. Delivered in Portuguese and relying on cinematic storytelling, the campaign’s single media asset evokes curiosity and emotional resonance, reinforcing Bienal São Paulo’s role as a platform for intellectual stimulation and artistic dialogue. The messaging underscores the cultural significance of the event as a space where leisure intersects with thoughtful engagement, encouraging audiences to reconsider their relationship with art and leisure beyond the superficial or automated. Tech and Soul’s approach refrains from conventional product or event promotion tactics such as testimonials, celebrity endorsements, or problem-solution clichés, instead trusting the metaphor to communicate a universal challenge of modern life: the risk of living on autopilot and missing deeper experiences. The campaign earns 60/100 in Clapboard’s global creative archive. Turn off the auto mode matters to the industry because it demonstrates how cultural campaigns in the leisure category can harness symbolism to provoke behavioral shifts and reposition longstanding events as catalysts for active cultural participation rather than passive attendance.