Participants in Lula's Iconic 2002 Campaign Ad Reevaluate Political Hope

Juliane Souza, a woman who appeared as a pregnant model in Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's iconic 2002 presidential campaign advertisement, says she does not intend to vote for him again. The advertisement, which featured pregnant women walking through a wheat field in Maringá, Paraná, was designed by publicist Duda Mendonça to soften Lula's image through a discourse of conciliation and the slogan that hope would defeat fear. Former minister José Dirceu stated the strategy aimed to replace negative campaigning with emotional messages focused on family, women, and the future.

At the time of the filming, Souza was 26 years old and pregnant with her daughter, Gabriela. While she was not a party militant, she voted for Lula in 2002 due to a sense of hope. Now 49 and working as an app driver, Souza believes the period of approval for Lula lasted only two or three years. She noted that her life changed significantly due to personal hardships, including becoming a widow in 2008 and facing economic challenges during the pandemic.

Souza and her daughter, Gabriela, who is now 23 and a publicist, both express a desire for financial security and an alternative to political polarization. They are currently following political figures such as Ronaldo Caiado and Renan Santos but have not yet decided on their vote. Another participant in the original ad, an entrepreneur from Maringá, also stated she had no political ties to the PT party. The 2002 campaign ultimately resulted in Lula defeating José Serra with 61.3 percent of the valid votes.