{
  "id": 12517611,
  "title": "Lula campaign scrambles to rebrand before Brazil runoff",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/lula-campaign-scrambles-to-rebrand-before-brazil-runoff",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-07T01:22:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnists/2026/10/1549439/lula-campaign-scrambles-rebrand-brazil-runoff"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "After a contentious first round of Brazil's presidential election, incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is in a rush to rebrand his campaign and reach millions of Brazilians who did not vote, according to sources familiar with the effort. Lula trailed by nearly 2.2 million votes, or about 2.2 percentage points, to right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, making him the underdog in the October 25 runoff. As Bolsonaro's chances grew, Lula's allies met in Brasilia to plan a strategic overhaul. Lula introduced a strategy dubbed the \"fear strategy,\" aimed at reminding voters of the risks a Bolsonaro presidency might pose to popular social benefits. The campaign's messaging, criticized for failing to resonate with younger demographics and women, has been attributed to Lula's social communications minister, Sidonio Palmeira, and his business partner, Raul Rebelo, who oversees the messaging. Rebelo is expected to remain on the team, but a more assertive strategist, Otavio Antunes, is anticipated to join. The Workers' Party is targeting nine million voters who supported minor candidates and the 33 million who abstained, attributing their lack of participation to apathy rather than opposition to Lula. A new social media ad warns about potential losses, emphasizing the value of government programs, such as the Bolsa Familia cash-transfer program and above-inflation pension increases. Bolsonaro's press office did not respond to requests for comment. In a recent interview, Bolsonaro pledged to maintain key programs like Bolsa Familia. With less than three weeks remaining, the campaign plans to recruit left-leaning influencers to bolster their social media efforts. Lula, at 80 years old, presents a potential challenge as he shuns phones and often criticizes screen culture. Despite his reluctance for social media, Lula promised to produce more social videos, or \"selfies,\" and emphasized his desire for additional radio interviews before the runoff.",
  "summary": "AFTER a bruising first round of Brazil’s presidential election, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is rushing to overhaul his campaign communications to engage millions of Brazilians who did not vote, according to people close to the campaign.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}