The Rio-shot spec spot marks Oliveira’s DHD debut, the company’s first production in South America, and a defining expression of its belief in stories drawn from real life
DHD Films has released Vai Que Cola, a FIFA-inspired spec spot shot in Rio de Janeiro and directed by newly added Brazilian-born filmmaker Pedro Oliveira. The project marks Oliveira’s first release with DHD, the company’s first production in South America, and an early signal of where its next chapter is headed.
For DHD, the film is not a departure. It is an expression of something the company’s founders, third-generation filmmakers Shezad Manjee and Hussain Manjee, have long believed: the most powerful stories feel lived-in, emotionally honest, and unmistakably human.
As DHD enters its 26th year, the company is sharpening its identity as a brand storytelling agency. For the Manjees, storytelling is not a trend to chase, but a tradition they inherited—grounded in the belief that film has a singular ability to hold emotion, memory, and cultural truth. Vai Que Cola reflects that point of view.
Oliveira’s addition to the DHD roster builds on the same sensibility. Working at the intersection of motion and still photography, he brings a cinematic eye to both mediums and is known for capturing moments that feel immediate and alive. That hybrid approach has shaped projects for Toyota, Acura, Universal Studios, Coca-Cola, National Geographic, and more.
“Film is the closest art form to life. That’s something Hussain and I have believed deeply as third-generation filmmakers, and it’s shaped how we’ve built DHD from the beginning,” said Shezad Manjee, Executive Creative Director. “For us, Vai Que Cola isn’t about chasing sports or a trend. It’s about honoring a truth we’ve always known: the most powerful stories feel lived-in, honest, and human. Sometimes that means going across the world to find the right setting, the right people, and the right emotional truth.”
The title itself points to that idea. Vai Que Cola comes from a Brazilian expression that loosely means, “what if it works?” For Oliveira, the phrase captures a mindset of belief—the instinct to chase a dream even when the odds say otherwise. In that sense, the spot is not simply about soccer, but about possibility, resilience, and becoming the author of your own story.
The timing is especially resonant. North Texas is preparing for a major global cultural moment, with Dallas set to host more 2026 FIFA World Cup matches than any other U.S. city. But for DHD, FIFA is the context – not the category.
The company sees the moment as a reminder that brands across industries increasingly need to participate in culture with credibility. Whether the subject is a patient story, a workforce story, an innovation story, or a global event, DHD believes the principle is the same: the work has to get close enough to real life to mean something.
That philosophy shaped every part of the production.
Vai Que Cola was shot in Tavares Bastos, a Rio community with a notable screen history and longstanding familiarity to filmmakers. DHD and Oliveira approached the location not as a backdrop, but as a neighborhood with its own rhythm and voice. Every person cast on camera was a resident of the community, many appearing on screen for the first time.
“For me, the foundation was always truth,” said Pedro Oliveira. “I wanted this spec film to feel lived-in, to reflect the rhythm, intimacy, tension, joy, and beauty that soccer holds in communities like this. Casting residents changed everything. It gave the story a pulse you cannot manufacture.”
Oliveira also pointed to the caliber of the collaboration behind the film as a defining part of the experience.
“I’ve worked with agencies and creative teams around the world for more than a decade, and the in-house talent at DHD is on par with the best NYC, LA or Chicago studios,” said Oliveira. “What stayed with me was not just the level of craft, but the passion and kindness behind it. That made me even more excited about the future collaborations.”
Coming off its 25th anniversary, DHD sees Vai Que Cola as an opening signal for what comes next: work shaped by emotional truth, cinematic craft, and local insight. Across life sciences, healthcare, energy, infrastructure, transportation, and beyond, the company believes the best storytelling does more than communicate. It creates connection by reflecting something real.
