Brazil is experiencing a fascinating moment for its creative industry: amidst technological advancements, inclusion agendas, and new ethical frameworks, the country is consolidating an ecosystem that combines talent, diversity, and business acumen. In a macroeconomic context of moderate growth—GDP at 3,4% in 2024 and inflation near 5%—structural challenges coexist with an undiminished cultural energy. more creative jobs and increased audiovisual exports.
Although historical inequalities persist—particularly affecting Afro-descendant communities, indigenous peoples, and other minorities—the impetus of public policies and the resilience of the market have sustained the dynamism of the sector. Lei Rouanet, Cultura Viva and training strengthen the sector.
What do we mean by creative economy and why does it matter?
The creative economy encompasses design, architecture, education, advertising, new media, visual arts, film, jewelry, music, and museums, among other knowledge-intensive activities. 3,1% of global GDP and 6,2% of global employment, with a growing presence especially among young people aged 15 to 29.
UNCTAD's figures help to put its scope into perspective: in 2020, creative goods accounted for 3% of goods exports and creative services for 21% of total services exported. global market for creative products estimated at 2,9 trillion (2024), with prospects of exceeding 4,3 trillion by 2033, sustaining growth rates higher than those of traditional industries.
Beyond the direct economic impact, its multiplier effect is remarkable: it generates quality employment, stimulates exports, promotes cultural diversity, and enhances the international projection of countries. Creativity as an industrial policy and competitiveness.
Brazil on the BRICS map and the Global South agenda
Within the BRICS+ framework, the creative economy is emerging as a platform for strategic cooperation. It could reach 10% of global GDP by 2030This is an opportunity that countries in the Global South view with particular interest to address socio-demographic challenges, strengthen their symbolic heritage, and shape their international image.
A key trend is also growing: glocalization. Think globally, act locallyIn contrast to a homogenizing globalization, experts like Guillermo Rocafort Pérez and Marcelo Barboza Duarte emphasize that BRICS cultural cooperation can materialize in shared markets, joint festivals, and even a co-designed streaming service that revitalizes the global scene.
One example of this exchange already exists: the BRICS International Festival of Theatre Schools, intercultural exchange platform between theatre universities, which anticipates the scale that co-productions in IT and film could reach.
Brazil's creative sectors: structure, employment and key figures
The pandemic hit cultural activities hard from February 2020 onwards, but it did not stop the relative progress of the sector. Creative GDP: 2,61% (2017) to 2,91% (2020)Driven by Technology and Consumption, while Culture and Media suffered declines, highlighting the heterogeneity of the ecosystem.
FIRJAN's 2025 Creative Industry Mapping details that the area employs some 1,26 million formal professionals, with a growth of 6,1% in 2023, almost double the national average. 3,59% of GDP and 7,7 million employed (Itaú)Meanwhile, the National Industrial Observatory projects exceeding 8,4 million jobs by 2030.
There are particularly powerful local realities. nearly 3 million professionals in Rio Grande do SulThis density reflects the region's strong regional presence. Meanwhile, exports of advertising and audiovisual production grew by 7% in 2024, reaching $54,7 million, according to Valor Internacional.
This performance is supported by incentive policies, the expansion of streaming —Globoplay, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+— and a vibrant culture that is constantly reinventing itself. Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film for «Ainda estou aqui», by Walter Salles, confirming its projection as a regional audiovisual hub.
Advertising, audiovisual media and artificial intelligence: where is the pulse
The Brazilian advertising market is experiencing a historic expansion. The advertising market grew by 12% in 2024According to eMarketer and Valor Econômico, local creativity relies on data, technology, and emotional storytelling to connect with a diverse and demanding audience.
AI has fully entered the creative flow, from planning and segmentation to the generation of content, voices, images, and immersive experiences. AI as an ally to accelerate processes and reduce costsHowever, a serious conversation about copyright, informational integrity, and ethics is essential.
Since then, Cannes, DM9 and other companies have strengthened their frameworks for the ethical use of AI. three fronts: creation, data, and internal operationsThe agency won the Grand Prix Digital & Social in 2024 with a piece that used AI to unite Elis Regina and her daughter Maria Rita for Volkswagen, demonstrating how technology can amplify emotions without replacing the idea.
For Erh Ray (BETC Havas São Paulo), the key is to set clear, responsible and transparent rules. AI that reinforces the creative and ethical essencenot when it compromises it. And in advertising and audiovisual music, Bia Ambrogi (APRO+Som) defends standards that protect copyright, personality and intellectual property, aligned with inclusive technological development.
According to market leaders, the Brazilian consumer is now more selective and seeks real value in brands. balance between performance and brand building, in an environment saturated with data and formats where intuition with cultural impact remains a differentiator.
Roots and cultural framework: from 1922 to the digital age
Brazil's creative identity crystallized a century ago with the modernist movement of 1922, whose commemoration revived the appreciation of native cultures. Influence of the Bauhaus and migrations on Brazilian culture.
From that crossroads arose the notion of "art/industry", which expanded the labor market in a country that was then less industrialized. The first São Paulo Biennial (1951) boosted internationalizationconfiguring a complex, diverse and constantly evolving ecosystem.
Cultural work relies on chains that are invisible to the naked eye. network of invisible trades behind the artsAnd the same is true for dance, music, circus, film or literature; a network of professions that has expanded with digital culture.
In that logic, the Rio de Janeiro Carnival deserves special mention. Carnival: the greatest show on the planet and an engine of employmentas well as a setting for stories that connect with the history of the country and with debates of public interest.
Museums and cultural facilities have been levers of urban regeneration. Museums as levers for urban regenerationMeanwhile, the MAC in Niterói, designed by Oscar Niemeyer, put the city on the international map of contemporary art.
Brasilia, inaugurated in 1960 and declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, is conceived as an "open-air museum". Brasilia's educational network trains creative professionalsnourishing the country's cultural fabric.
In the context of environmental crisis, thinking about culture also involves reviewing energy matrices and production models. intellectual capital as a central raw materialand it needs sustainable, democratic and smart environments to continue flourishing.
Cases and programs that connect: Ponte Criativa (PUCRS)
On September 23, PUCRS launched Ponte Criativa, an initiative of the Faculty of Communication, Arts and Design (FAMECOS) that seeks to bring the university and the market closer together. activate projects and knowledge transfer, expanding connections and opportunities across the entire ecosystem.
The project is structured around six pillars: culture and art; services and consulting; startups; research and trends; innovation and technology; and audiovisual center and ecosystem. Creativity as an economic and social driverraising the bar for collaboration between actors.
According to its coordinator, Denise Pagnussatt, the bridge formalizes a role that FAMECOS was already playing. more than 250 partnerships since 2023with projects like Estúdio K together with Cine Kafuné, which promotes affirmative audiovisual production and gives voice to black, indigenous, LGBTQIA+ and peripheral identities.
Dean Rosângela Florczak emphasizes the educational and social impact on students, teachers, technicians, and graduates. channels research and innovation towards real impactTecnopuc, a partner in the movement, emphasizes that the initiative is a milestone for strengthening community and accelerating business, as indicated by its director, Flávia Fiorin.
BRICS comparison: where the key countries are focusing their attention
China is moving forward with a robust state support model: tax incentives, subsidies, financing, and specialized training centers. Almost 10% of the population in cultural industries, and its creative economy surpasses the global average with 4,56% of GDP, and the sector's exports are around 220.000 billion dollars.
Russia seeks to raise the share of its creative economy to 6% of GDP; today it stands at around 4% —about 7,5 trillion rubles, equivalent to 92.150 billion dollars—. local identity as a competitive advantageAnalysts are already talking about a "new oil" linked to the rise of local brands and creative professions.
In the United Arab Emirates, public policy is geared towards attracting global creative talent. 10-year cultural visa and 22 free trade zonesThey lead the export of creative products among developing countries (9.100 billion dollars) and project to increase their contribution to GDP from 2,9% to 5% in 2031.
India has established itself as a hub for film, animation, and visual effects. It aims for 25% of the global market share in animation and VFX. By 2030, it is projected to generate between 75.000 and 125.000 jobs; a film job, on average, creates 3,7 additional jobs in related sectors. It exports approximately $13.800 billion, although its creative economy still only accounts for 1,5% of GDP.
Glocalization, collaboration and a possible BRICS streaming
Glocalization is gaining ground as an antidote to homogenization. to preserve traditions and national identity It is the way for generations raised with Hollywood to start demanding and producing their own national cinema.
Within BRICS, more ambitious forms of cooperation are being considered, including the creation of a joint streaming service to diversify the global offering. joint streaming service to diversify offering.
Speed ​​versus perfection: a useful lesson for creating and competing
In knowledge-intensive industries—telecom, technology, medtech, advertising or audiovisual—organizational speed makes all the difference. Speed, properly understood, without sacrificing safetyIt allows you to decide, learn, and iterate ahead of the competition, avoiding the opportunity cost of waiting for perfection.
Agile execution generates traction and confidence: a good decision today pushes the next one forward. Early decisions generate learningDecentralization, by putting the teams closest to the problem in charge of the solution, accelerates and makes the results more creative.
This isn't about improvising without a safety net: leadership is about knowing when 80% certainty is enough to move forward. Culture is strengthened with speed and focusMany innovations are born from making moves, iterating, and constantly adapting.
Policies, consumption and territory: a country that creates from the local
Brazil combines state-led development and baseload power. national fund for culture and local investmentsbringing the creative economy closer to where people live.
This approach is echoed in market trends. Consumers seek brands with purpose and local relevanceCompanies that understand the cultural context—and act on it—are gaining ground, as voices from the Brazilian creative market point out.
Visual credits and documentation
The dynamism of the scene is also reflected in its iconography. Photographs credited to Pict Rider and others They have accompanied recent coverage; likewise, there are technical and academic reports that delve deeper into methodologies and results of the sector.
All of the above paints a picture of a Brazilian creative industry that is moving forward despite its tensions, that sets clear rules for technology without losing its cultural pulse, and that recognizes a competitive advantage in its diversity. Expanding employment, rising exports, and a commitment to responsible AI.
