Fuleco wins name game

The wait is over: the Official Mascot of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ has a name, with more than 1.7 million people voting for Fuleco™.

The three-month public voting campaign, supported by FIFA, proved to be popular as the Brazilian public came out in force to cast their votes. More than 48 per cent voted for Fuleco™, ahead of Zuzeco (31 per cent) and Amijubi (21 per cent), making it the unanimous winner.

Ever since being introduced to the public, Fuleco™ has been making his presence felt by touring the host country and getting to know the people of Brazil. The latest results from FIFA’s independent brand tracking research indicate that he is fast becoming popular in Brazil.

Communicating the importance of the environment and ecology is a key objective of the next FIFA World Cup. Recent results from FIFA’s 2012 public opinion tracker in Brazil also confirm the importance of the topic of sustainability and the environment among fans in the host country. Over 90 per cent of Brazilians believe that Brazil 2014 should be environmentally friendly.

As one of the most high-profile ambassadors of the event and a member of a vulnerable species, the Official Mascot can play a key role in driving environmental awareness. The name Fuleco™ is a fusion of the words ‘futebol’ and ‘ecologia’. This seamlessly represents the way in which the FIFA World Cup can combine the two to encourage people to behave in an environmentally friendly way. In voting for the name Fuleco™, the Brazilian population has clearly demonstrated an affinity for both themes that the name epitomizes.

Part of FIFA’s brand tracking study also investigated the key characteristics of Fuleco™ that resonate among the public. The results are encouraging as ‘Brazilian’, ‘nature’, ‘friendly’ and ‘passion for football’ come out top in terms of traits that best describe him. This clearly shows that Brazilians already recognise the significance of the armadillo as an important ambassador for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and his role in inspiring fans all over the world with his passion for the sport and his country.