Spirit in the Right Place

After the “#HublotLovesFootball” campaign in May this year that saw the Swiss brand touring the world, Hublot — the exclusive Official Timekeeper and Official Watch of the FIFA World Cup — has once again sprung to action to make an enduring effort to unite the Brazilian community in the midst of World Cup fever.
With the country’s greatest football player Pelé and Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe in attendance, many locals came together for the opening of a new football pitch on June 27. Commissioned by Hublot and realised by architects FGMF & Rosenbaum, the new pitch in Rio de Janeiro’s Jacarezinho favela (slum) is part of the watch manufacture’s efforts to give back to society.
The initiative began a year ago and was created with the aim of giving families in the Brazilian neighbourhood a clean and healthy place to enjoy and chase their football dreams. The third-densest favela in the Brazilian city was picked because of the site’s location next to a school — allowing Hublot to fulfill its purpose of having the space become a strong influence on the community’s children.
“We are in the luxury business but we believe in giving back, specifically for the children. We are an inspirational brand. If they study and work hard, they should be able to succeed,” said Guadalupe.
The project — titled Tamo Junto Jacarezinho (meaning “Together Jacarezinho”) — roped in local children over a number of weekends to paint the walls of what would eventually become their playground. The youngsters worked alongside Brazilian artisan Romero Britto, who lent his support by creating an ingenious mural for the site.