Wunderman Thompson: Zumbi dos Palmares Black Box

Wunderman Thompson won a Gold Lion in the Print & Publishing category

Despite the abolishment of slavery in Brazil in 1888, the latter side of history is still not taught in schools. To correct these crucial, historical omissions, Zumbi dos Palmares College, which deems itself the only black college in Brazil, and Wunderman Thompson Brazil developed the project Black Box.

The project set to uncover this history in order to bring pride and knowledge to Afro-descendants, promote a historical correction and spread hidden stories about the cultural legacy of black pioneers.

Researchers, historians, journalists and teachers worked for 15,000 hours to create a 200-page book that brings the missing cultural and historical legacy into the spotlight. The book includes 'black boxes' in translucent tracing paper that reveal important historical information and names of black heroes when the pages are turned over.

Besides the content, the book also includes visual elements to enrich each theme. The map of Quilombo dos Palmares, a huge symbol of resistance to black people in Brazil, was used to form all images in the book through generative design.

In a time of quick-fix solutions, Zumbi dos Palmares, via Wunderman Thompson, chose to study the past and unearth buried stories, to allow us to build a better future with more equal opportunities.