Brazilian presidential candidates led by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva have spent more than double on physical campaign material compared with digital advertising.
Between August 16 and September 23, candidates polling at least 1 percent in the CNN index invested 11.21 million Brazilian reais in physical campaign items such as stickers and printed handouts. During the same period, those contenders directed 4.75 million reais toward digital promotion on social networks such as Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook.
The figures come from a CNN survey based on financial disclosures filed with Brazil's Superior Electoral Court, known as the TSE. The data forms part of the interim campaign accounting statements that all candidates are legally obligated to register to document their campaign revenue and expenses.
Spending on stickers and printed flyers
President Lula, standing for the Workers' Party, emerged as the largest overall spender on physical campaign items, investing 6.96 million reais. Of that expenditure, 3.83 million reais went toward campaign stickers, representing 51 percent of all sticker spending reported across the analyzed presidential candidates. The remaining 3.13 million reais paid for printed materials, accounting for 83 percent of all print spending among the contenders.
Senator Flavio Bolsonaro of the Liberal Party ranked second in physical media spending, recording 3.18 million reais in total expenditures. Electoral court records show the candidate allocated 3.13 million reais of that budget to stickers, while spending 57,600 reais on printed materials.
Other presidential contenders reported significantly smaller outlays for physical election material. Renan Santos of the Missao party spent 394,200 reais, allocating 228,000 reais to stickers and 165,700 reais to printed matter. Romeu Zema of the Novo party invested 264,600 reais, comprising 179,600 reais for stickers and 85,000 reais for print.
Samara Martins of the Popular Unity party reported 197,100 reais in physical media costs, dividing the amount between 102,800 reais for stickers and 94,300 reais for print. Ronaldo Caiado of the Social Democratic Party directed 123,800 reais entirely to printed materials while recording zero spending on stickers. Augusto Cury of the Avante party registered a total of 168 reais, all of it dedicated to printed handouts with nothing spent on stickers.
Investments in digital network promotion
Lula also led all contenders in digital promotion spending, dedicating 2.69 million reais to boost content across online platforms. That sum represented 56 percent of the total digital advertising expenditure recorded among the eligible presidential candidates in the survey.
Flavio Bolsonaro placed second in online boosting investments with 900,000 reais recorded on the electoral court platform. Caiado ranked third in digital spending with 546,700 reais, followed by Cury with 240,000 reais. Santos logged 190,000 reais in digital promotion expenses, while Zema spent 185,000 reais boosting his campaign messages on social networks.
Electoral court rules and campaign traditions
The Superior Electoral Court oversees the running of Brazilian federal elections and maintains the public database where campaigns must submit their ongoing financial statements. These partial account filings allow election authorities and voters to track incoming donations and outgoing expenses before balloting concludes.
Traditional street campaign supplies have long formed a central element of electioneering in Brazil. Printed leaflets, known locally as santinhos, and adhesive stickers displayed on cars and clothing are standard features of public rallies and grassroots mobilization. While major political campaigns continue to increase their communication across digital channels, physical campaign merchandise still commands the bulk of candidate budgets during the nationwide race.
