Politics · Brazil · 9 hrs ago
Pop culture fans drove online mobilization for Lula, study says
Pop culture fans helped mobilize online support for Lula in Brazil’s second-round presidential election, according to a study by CULTPOP, a research lab at Fluminense Federal University.
Researchers from more than ten Brazilian universities monitored Instagram, TikTok, X and Threads from October 3 to 20 and also conducted two in-person surveys in São Paulo.
They found an unusually large wave of content made by fan communities, including groups focused on pop music, science fiction, gaming and other interests.
Supporters used generative AI to make memes and deepfakes showing Lula as pop stars or in scenes from television shows.
Women and LGBTQ+ communities were central to the effort, with fan groups organizing posts to share campaign messages and reach undecided voters and people who might not vote.
Researchers said Lula’s backing of measures against ticket scalping and to widen access to discounted concert tickets also helped connect him with fan communities; they said rival candidates did not reach those groups in the same way.
A study says pop music, science-fiction, gaming and other fan communities led online mobilization for President Lula’s re-election in the second round.
Researchers from more than ten Brazilian universities monitored Instagram, TikTok, X and Threads from October 3 to 20.
They found an unprecedented volume of organic content from groups coordinating around specific deadlines and tasks to spread messages supporting Lula.
Generative artificial intelligence was used to create memes and deepfakes featuring Lula in pop-culture settings.
The study was released the week before CNN Brasil published its report on November 8, 2026.
- Who
- Pop-culture fans, including music fans, gamers and nerd-culture communities, led the online mobilization for Lula.
- What
- A study found that these groups created and shared online content supporting Lula’s re-election.
- When
- Researchers monitored social media from October 3 to 20. The study was released the week before November 8, 2026.
- Where
- On Instagram, TikTok, X and Threads, with two in-person surveys conducted in São Paulo.
- Why
- The groups aimed to spread messages and information supporting Lula’s candidacy. One organizer said they sought to reach abstaining and undecided voters.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The Fandoms com Lula page was created.
Researchers monitored Instagram, TikTok, X and Threads for six to eight hours a day.
CULTPOP released its study.
- Researchers
- From more than 10 Brazilian public and private universities
- Monitoring period
- October 3–20
- Platforms monitored
- Instagram, TikTok, X and Threads
- Fandoms com Lula
- Created October 3; had more than 100,000 followers across platforms at the time of the report
- In-person research
- Two surveys in São Paulo between the first and second rounds
What people are saying
Much of the digital pop population is queer. Traits such as dark woke are native to this audience.
We understood that there was an algorithm favoring the other side. From there, we began drawing up strategies to break through the bubble and reach abstentions and undecided voters.