Brazil vendor uses 'Data-towel' to tally customer preference for Lula, Flávio, Renan

A street vendor in São Paulo, Brazil, has created a unique way to gauge political preferences by selling towels featuring presidential hopefuls and updating a tally board he calls the "Data-Toalha." Osvaldo Pires Valentim, known as Osvaldo das Toalhas, hangs his merchandise on a street corner and records sales based on customer choices.

As of Thursday, Flávio Bolsonaro led the sales with six towels, while President Lula and pre-candidate Renan Santos were tied for second with four each. This "towel race" does not necessarily mirror official polls, which show Lula leading significantly, with Flávio Bolsonaro second and Renan Santos far behind.

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I sell towels of both. And the insistent question of 'who sells more' made me have the idea for the scoreboard, which later got the name 'Data-Toalha'.

Santos's sales may have received a boost from his personal visit to Valentim's stall, where he autographed a towel featuring his image. The vendor also includes football star Neymar Jr. in his sales, recognizing him as the "greatest player in football history" based on social media votes.

Valentim's entrepreneurial idea began during the 2022 presidential campaign when he saw vendors selling towels exclusively for Bolsonaro or Lula. He decided to offer towels for both, and the question of "who sells more" inspired his scoreboard, which evolved into the "Data-Toalha."

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It's not for nothing, but my towel is cooler.