The New York Times reports right-wing boycott against Havaianas

O The New York Times highlighted this Thursday (25) that the Brazilian brand Havaianas became the target of a boycott organized by the right after the broadcast of an end-of-year advertisement interpreted as an ideological provocation. According to the american newspaperthe reaction transformed a simple flip-flop commercial into another episode of the cultural war that marks Brazilian politics.

In the text, the New York Times reports that the campaign made reference to the popular expression “starting off on the right foot”, when suggesting that the new year be started “with both feet”. The message, considered light and good-humored by the public, was quickly politicized by conservative leaders, who began to accuse the brand of left-wing alignment and called for a boycott on social media.

The campaign, presented by actress Fernanda Torres, showed the artist wanting people to start 2026 “with both feet”, instead of just with their right foot. For conservative sectors, however, the phrase was interpreted as an ideological provocation against those who identify with the political right.

Shortly after the commercial aired, right-wing politicians and influencers began calling for a boycott of the brand on social media. One of the episodes that had the most impact was the release of a video in which Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, throws a pair of Havaianas in the trash, stating that the brand had deliberately chosen someone identified with the left to represent it — an accusation that the company did not confirm.

Other conservative leaders joined the bandwagon: deputy Nikolas Ferreira published messages suggesting that “not everyone will wear Havaianas now”, and deputy Bia Kicis (PL-DF) also called on followers to rethink their consumption of the brand.

The repercussion International of the episode, according to the New York Timeshighlights how even trivially popular cultural elements — like a pair of flip-flops — can become political symbols in a deeply polarized country. The newspaper compared the Brazilian reaction to episodes of cultural boycotts seen in the United States in recent years, in which products or brands were abandoned for ideological reasons by conservative groups.