É cá do Bairro!
About
Some places don’t need an introduction. They simply need to reconnect with the people who have always belonged there.
The Mercado do Bolhão has long been part of everyday life in Porto. Yet, for many residents living just around the corner, familiar routines had gradually replaced the habit of shopping at their local market. The challenge was to remind neighbours that Bolhão is more than a marketplace — it is part of their community, their history and their everyday life. The campaign brief focused on strengthening this relationship, encouraging local residents to rediscover the market, its fresh produce and its unique atmosphere.
To answer that challenge, SOOCHY created “É Cá do Bairro”, a neighbourhood campaign designed to bring Bolhão back into the daily lives of its closest community.
Built around the familiar Portuguese expression “Ó vizinho…” (“Hey neighbour…”), the campaign transformed one of the simplest gestures between neighbours into a powerful invitation to rediscover the market that has always been just next door.
More than promoting fresh produce, the campaign celebrated belonging, proximity and the enduring relationship between the city and one of its most iconic public spaces.
SOOCHY LAB
Every neighbourhood begins with a front door.
The creative concept was inspired by one of the simplest and most familiar objects found in Portuguese homes: the door peephole. More than a functional detail, it represents curiosity, trust and the first visual connection between neighbours. It is the moment when a private home opens to the community outside.
This everyday object became the foundation of the campaign’s visual identity. The initiative’s logo was conceived as a stylised peephole, combining its circular shape with graphic references inspired by the distinctive architecture of Mercado do Bolhão. Looking through the peephole became a metaphor for rediscovering the market just outside your door.
The experience continued beyond the visual identity. A series of die-cut direct mail pieces were carefully designed to protrude from residents’ letterboxes, creating the illusion that fresh produce had been left by a neighbour. Each removable fruit or vegetable became a personal invitation to visit the “Banca do Bairro”, where it could be exchanged for an exclusive reusable shopping bag.
By bringing the market to people’s doorsteps before inviting them back inside, the campaign transformed an everyday interaction into a memorable brand experience, reinforcing the values of proximity, local commerce and community that have always defined Mercado do Bolhão.
The market had always been there. We simply knocked on the right door.
