Netflix replaced its stars with strays. Brazil adopted them.

MATTER’s role

MATTER's role: creative strategy, the Protagonistas concept and key-art swap idea, poster production, ASMR content, the adoption site design, 48 social assets, and the IZA music video's narrative and art direction. 53 editorial placements followed. The idea — Protagonistas — put real, adoptable dogs where the stars usually stand: professional key-art portraits, an ASMR film with the canine cast, an IZA music video, and a dedicated adoption site with real profiles, run with Instituto Caramelo. Every one of the 60 dogs that appeared in the film found a home; 12 more were adopted through the campaign itself, including 10-year-old Bernadete and three-legged Caramelo da Upa.

Long-form material — uploaded 2026-08-24 from the project page's Case Study section (produced 2026-04-13 via case study formatter). ⚠️ The full case-study .docx referenced there ('available in project files') was NOT found in Drive or Notion — if it exists, attach it here or paste its text below this note.

Netflix Replaced Its Stars with Strays. Brazil Adopted Them.

Produced 2026-04-13 via case study formatter skill. Full .docx available in project files.

Case Study Card

• Elevator pitch: Netflix asked us to launch a dog movie. We replaced the stars of seven hit shows with shelter dogs, built a national adoption platform spanning 15 states, and turned a film launch into a movement that put 12 real dogs in real homes — while making Caramelo the most-watched Brazilian film in Netflix history.
• Primary angle: The Impact Story — Entertainment marketing engineered for social outcomes (strength: 5/5)
• Secondary angles: The Cultural Moment (4/5), The Integration Story (4/5)
• Key result: 12 real dog adoptions + 132% increase in adoption searches + most-watched Brazilian film in Netflix history (Top 10 in 90 countries)
• MATTER role: Creative strategy, campaign concept ("Protagonistas"), Key Art swap idea, poster production, ASMR content, adoption site design, 48 social assets, IZA music video narrative/art direction/director selection
• Industry: Entertainment / Streaming
• Channels: Digital/Social, Adoption Platform, Music Video, ASMR Content, Editorial/Earned Media
• Capabilities demonstrated: Creative Strategy, Campaign Creative, Content Production, Cultural Strategy, Social Strategy
• Formats produced: Elevator pitch, Credentials paragraph, One-page case study, Full case study (primary + secondary angles)
• Award potential: Strong — recommended for Impact/Social Good categories (Cannes Lions, Clio, D&AD Impact, One Show, El Ojo)
• Date produced: 2026-04-13

Additional Results (from web research, April 2026)

• Film performance: Most-watched Brazilian film in Netflix history. Top 10 in 90 countries within 2 weeks.
• 60/60 film dogs adopted: Every dog that appeared in the film found a home.
• IZA music video: 5.77M total views (YouTube 1.9M / Instagram 3.5M / TikTok 367.5K), 302K likes, ~10K shares.
• 53 editorial placements: Estadão, Veja, UOL, Jovem Pan, Meio e Mensagem, Folha de Pernambuco, Clube de Criação, Propmark, IstoÉ Pet, Exame, and others.
• Brand partnerships attracted (not MATTER-led): Chevrolet Tracker Caramelo auction raised R$253,500 for Instituto Caramelo (led by WMcCANN). Brisanet donated media space in Northeast.

The results