A football field is usually where the game is played. Mercado Libre, however, turned the field into a sales channel at the same time.

The e-commerce platform shaped Pacaembu Stadium's grass like a giant 104-meter barcode. In the application called "Field Barcode," the mowing lines on the field were transformed into a scannable barcode that could be viewed via TV, YouTube, or Disney+.

Fans watching the match on screen could scan the pattern on the field with their phones to access an instant discount coupon usable on Mercado Libre's online store.

Grass lines turned into a sales channel

The campaign's starting point is based on a visual habit already present on football fields: mowing lines.

These lines, normally part of field layout and broadcast aesthetics, took on a commercial function this time. The stadium grass was prepared as a 104-meter barcode, visible from the camera angle and scannable with a phone.

This way, viewers didn't just watch the field during the match broadcast. They could scan the area they saw on screen with their phones and directly engage with the discount mechanism.

A special web app was used for the application. After scanning the barcode on the field, fans accessed a 25% discount coupon valid on the online store.

Placed at Pacaembu's reopening

The campaign was brought to life not in an ordinary league match, but in a game with symbolic value.

Pacaembu Stadium had reopened after a long renovation process. Mercado Libre had also acquired the stadium's naming rights. The giant barcode application was positioned as one of the visible moments of this new era.

The barcode was displayed during the match between Corinthians and Boca Juniors. The game was a reenactment of the 2012 Libertadores final and was broadcast live on SBT, ESPN, and Disney+.

This context provided the campaign not just with advertising space, but with a high-attention football moment. The stadium's reopening, a nostalgic match pairing, and the live broadcast audience all merged within the same application.

A short path from live broadcast to shopping

The striking aspect of the application is that it doesn't use outdoor advertising merely as a visibility space.

The barcode on the field connected the viewer directly to the shopping process. While watching the match on TV or digital broadcast, the fan scanned the barcode with their phone; they were then directed to a discount code and the online store.

This structure distinguishes stadium advertising from classic billboards or in-field brand visibility. The brand message is on the field, but it also generates a measurable action.

According to information shared in the source, the campaign resulted in 53,000 coupons being used and over €1.5 million in sales.

Won the Outdoor Grand Prix

"Field Barcode" won the Outdoor Grand Prix award at Cannes Lions 2026.

The jury evaluation highlighted the simplicity of the idea. Because the campaign doesn't invent a new medium; rather, it transforms a surface everyone already sees into a different function.

The grass lines on the football field, the wide surface seen by the broadcast camera, and the fan's phone participation behavior all combine into a single mechanism.

In this respect, the application shows that outdoor advertising is not just a medium seen in physical space; when combined with TV and digital broadcast, it can become an experience linked to sales.

Football broadcast approaches a shopping interface

The campaign operates at the intersection of football viewing habits and e-commerce behavior.

In Latin America, football is a powerful cultural space that gathers large audiences in front of screens simultaneously. Mercado Libre connected this attention moment to shopping without interrupting the viewer's experience.

Here, the viewer doesn't wait for a commercial break, search for a separate site, or have to enter a campaign code. A visual element within the match turns into a scannable shopping entry point via phone.

This structure became one of the current examples showing that live sports broadcasts can be used not just for brand visibility, but also for direct interaction and sales.

A continuation of the previous live discount approach

Mercado Libre and GUT São Paulo had previously produced similar works connecting entertainment moments to shopping. Last year, the brand hid Neymar inside Call of Duty to create a live discount mechanism and again won a Grand Prix at Cannes Lions.

The new campaign takes this approach to the football field. While the first example used the digital gaming world, this time a real stadium surface and live broadcast screen are transformed into a sales interface.

Therefore, "Field Barcode" stands out not just as an outdoor work, but as an application that brings together sports broadcasting, e-commerce, mobile scanning behavior, and a real-time discount mechanism.

Instead of placing an ad on the field, Mercado Libre made the field itself scannable. While the match continued, the grass was both the ground for the game and a barcode opening into shopping.