Advertising on a national TV network, during a break on “Jornal Nacional”, aligns with Planalto’s speech, defends the state against criticism against the high price of fuel and says that the distribution operation was privatized in 2021
This Friday (May 1, 2026) broadcast an advertisement on national television on open TV, during the break of the “National Newspaper”. In the video, the company states that it no longer has control over the stations and points to the distributors’ profit margins as a determining factor for the amount paid by the end consumer.
The company cites the issue of the war in the Middle East to explain the issue of distribution to posts. According to the company, in Brazil “we can count on energy from Petrobras”as gasoline sold to distributors has not increased since 2024.
Although diesel increased by 7.18% in April compared to March, accumulating an increase of more than 20% since the start of conflicts in the Middle East, the video says that the government is doing its part to reduce the value. The advertisement states that the stations no longer belong to Petrobras, and if there is an increase in prices, it is not the company or the government’s fault.
Watch the advertisement (30s):
END OF THE STATION NETWORK
One of the pillars of the campaign is the didactic explanation of the company’s current structure. Petrobras reinforces that the distribution operation was privatized in 2021, during the administration of the former president (PL), when the state-owned company sold its remaining stake in (today Vibra Energia).
The advertising narrative focuses on the fact that, although the “BR” brand is still present in thousands of establishments across the country, Petrobras has no influence on the management, logistics or pricing policy of these points of sale. The strategy aims to undo the historical perception of Brazilians who directly associate the state-owned company’s logo with responsibility for the price at the pump.
