Bolsonaro triples budget and surpasses Lula in Google advertising spending

In the final stretch of the presidential elections, the campaign of President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) accelerated spending on ads on the main internet platform. Google data show that, for the first time since the beginning of the campaign, the reelection candidate spends more resources on displaying electoral propaganda on Google than former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT).

In the accumulated seven days until yesterday, October 20, Bolsonaro’s campaign spent an average of R$513,900 per day on Google ads. The value indicates a jump of 257% in comparison with the daily average of the first shift. Only in the 24 hours of Wednesday (19) were R$ 1.36 million.

Lula’s campaign has aired a daily average of R$ 439,300 in the last seven days. The amount also grows, but at a more modest pace than the competitor: high of 76% on the same basis of comparison. Data were collected at noon on Friday (21).

Center-South and “Zap’s aunts”

In the last seven days, the advertising piece in which Bolsonaro has put more resources is a 22-second video in which the president asks for votes and the support of neighbors and friends and is shown only in the South, Southeast and Midwest of Brazil. More than 10 million views are counted for men and women of all ages.

The second piece with the most money was aired only for women. The 38-second video is timed not to be shown to men and women under the age of 35. In it, the president addresses “my aunts from Zap” and asks them to attend the polls in the second round.

Covid, religion and Minas Gerais

In Lula’s campaign, the piece with the most funds in the last seven days had its placement removed for “violation of policy”, but without details of the content. Both campaigns have had pieces removed for violating the platform’s own policies or at the request of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE).

Then, the piece with the most money was the one that uses the motto “Bolsonaro never again” and criticizes the president’s performance in combating the pandemic. The 31-second video had between 9 million and 10 million views across Brazil, for women and men, and of all ages.

The second piece aired with more money in the last week uses, in a critical tone, excerpts from Bolsonaro’s visit to the Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora Aparecida on October 12 and highlights the motto “No more using religion to make politics”. The play had 7 million to 8 million views across Brazil and was set up to be targeted especially at audiences in Minas Gerais.

accrued expenses

Since the beginning of the electoral race, Lula’s campaign has led Google advertising spending: R$16 million in 2,351 different ads, 87% of which in videos and 13% in texts and links. Bolsonaro, in turn, spent BRL 9.6 million on 610 ads, 87.5% on videos, 10.7% on texts and 1.6% on graphics.