SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL — In the centenary year of Itaú Unibanco, the 17-year partnership with the Miami Open is celebrated with the renewal of the contract until 2028. To mark the occasion in style, the bank launched a new tradition at the tournament, which was carried out for the first time in tennis history and will continue for future editions of the Miami Open: the ceremonial serve, named “Serves of the Future.” The individual chosen to perform this milestone was the young tennis player Rafael Padilha, an athlete from the Rede Tênis Brasil social project, an initiative supported by the bank. The first serve took place during the Miami Open at the Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins.
Hailing from Vila Kadi, Porto Alegre, Padilha is 18 years old and began his tennis journey at the age of nine. His first contact with the sport occurred through the Rede Tênis Brasil project. The eldest of eight siblings, the athlete is now preparing to earn a scholarship at American universities, a goal that will be achieved through sports and the educational encouragement reinforced by the social project.
In 2023, also through the Rede Tênis Brasil, Padilha visited the backstage and trained on the courts of the Miami Open, having the opportunity to meet his main idols – including Carlos Alcaraz, current world number 2 and protagonist of the Itaú Personnalité campaign; and Brazilians Bia Haddad Maia, sponsored by the bank since 2022, and Thiago Andrade. In this year’s edition, the young player not only took part in the historic moment of the tournament but also had the chance to exchange shots with another idol: Ronaldo (former football player and number 9 jersey).
And to immortalize the “Serve of the Future,” the action created and orchestrated in partnership with the agency GALERIA.ag, also includes a 60-second film that can be viewed here and on the official profiles of Itaú Unibanco.
“We believe that sports have the power to transform people’s lives, which is why this is such a strong pillar of action at Itaú. Our support ranges from projects that use sports as a means of developing Brazilian children and youth to those focused on high performance, such as the Miami Open. Among the supported social actions, we have Rede Tênis Brasil, Bola Dentro, Instituto Guga Kuerten, and Tênis para Todos Paraisópolis. We are proud to also be alongside the talented Brazilian tennis player Bia Haddad Maia since 2023, demonstrating our commitment to contribute to the growth of the category in the country and promote the development of young athletes,” said Eduardo Tracanella, Marketing Director of Itaú Unibanco.
Credits:
Title: Serves of the Future
Client: Itaú Unibanco
Product: Institutional
Campaign: Miami Open
Agency: GALERIA.ag
CCO: Rafael Urenha
Executive Creative Direction: Phil Daijó and Rodrigo Marangoni
Creative Direction: Caio Milanesi
ACDs: Gabriel Braga and João Freire
Creation: João Capusso, Victor Capato, Cristal Crocker, and Gabriel Rosatti
Account Management: Ana Coutinho, Denise Vieira, Luis Velloso, Nathalia Chaves, and Gabriela Oyas
Client Approval: Eduardo Tracanella, Thaiza Akemi, Leonardo Juhasz, and Camile Liguori
Media: Paulo Ilha, Sofia Raucci, Eric Zanelli, Ana Carvalho, Rafael Aguirra, and Gabriel Codina
Strategy: Juliana Romano, Nathalia Imamura, and Gabriella Unger
PR: Patricia Capuchinho, Mariana Novaes, and Fernanda Gil
Influence: Karen Bartels and Thiago Almeida
Data and Technology: Marcelo Azevedo, Patricia Garcia, and Yuri Rebello
Integrated Production: Ducha Lopes, Fábio Truci, Nauê Moura, Matheus Thiago, and Victória Santos
Image Production: Sugar Cane
Direction: Diego Locatelli
Account Management: Bruna Nogueira
Executive Producer: Igor Selingarde
Producer: Murilo Paiva
Local Producer: Ruben Nago
Camera 1: Hugo Takemoto
Camera 2: Ricardo Vilela
Still Photographer: Gabo Bucheli
Support Takes: Ruben Nago
Costume Designer: Aradon (Marina Araújo and Jaque Cimadon)
Props: Rafa Santana
Driver: Fran Otero
Post-production Coordination: Marcela Antunes
Editing: Andres Cifuentes, Diego Locatelli, and Ricardo Vilela
Color: Hugo Takemoto
Motion Graphics: Henrique Trendo
Finisher: Olavo Ribeiro
Audio Production: Evil Twin Music
Creative and Music Production Direction: Peter Sauces, Andre Faria, and Murilo Faria
Music Production: Luiz Ortega and Peter Sauces
Account/Coordination: Juliana Tangary, Thais Becker, Manoella Coelho da Fonseca, and Letícia Brito
Mixing and Finishing: Rafael Vieira, Gustavo Boselli, Andre d’Ávila, and Paulo Ribeiro
