Start with what the copy needs to achieve
A short headline may depend on rhythm, a familiar expression, a visual or a double meaning. Translating each word can preserve the sentence while losing the reason it worked. Transcreation starts with the intended response and develops Portuguese copy that can do the same job in its own context.
We ask what needs to stay fixed and where there is room to move. A product claim, a legal line, a brand term or an approved creative concept can set useful boundaries. Within those boundaries, the wording can change substantially.
Campaigns, taglines and the details around them
- Campaign headlines, taglines and calls to action.
- Social posts, advertising and short-form video copy.
- Voiceovers, scripts and presentation language.
- Landing pages that need a consistent campaign voice.
- Creative alternatives for copy that does not travel well.
We consider how each line works with the image, placement, character limit and wider campaign. A headline approved in a document still needs to work when someone sees it on a phone.
Brazilian and European Portuguese need their own brief
Brazil and Portugal can call for different forms of address, references or levels of informality. We do not assume that changing a few vocabulary items makes a campaign suitable for the other market.
Where both markets are in scope, we keep the brand idea aligned while considering each audience independently. If a reference needs a deeper discussion before the copy is written, our cultural consultancy can help shape the creative brief.
Options your team can evaluate
The agreed deliverable can include alternative lines, a short explanation of each route and an English back-translation where useful. Back-translations help people who do not read Portuguese understand a proposal; the explanation carries the nuance that a literal back-translation cannot.
We can also review existing Portuguese creative work for voice, clarity and cultural fit. If the content is mainly factual and the source structure works well, Portuguese translation may be sufficient.
What makes a useful transcreation brief?
Send the English source, the creative concept, visuals, target audience, intended market, channel and technical limits. Include brand guidelines, examples of your voice and any claims that must remain unchanged. Tell us how many routes and review rounds you need so the scope is clear from the start.