• by Teresa Buyikian , March 24, 2025

Brazilian churrasco (barbecue or grilled meat) restaurant chain Fogo de Chão recently announced its new national ad effort,  “Fogo is Fire,” along with dropping its first branded merchandise collection.

The Fogo de Chão (which translates to "fire of the ground" in Portuguese, the dominant language in Southern Brazil, and is used to describe the churrasco way of cooking) campaign features a series of classic American songs rerecorded by  Brazilian singer and songwriter Alexia Bomtempo.

The campaign’s first :30 spot, seen here, features Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” performed by Bomtempo, who also appears in the ad. She sings a slowed-down, sultry version of the song against scenes of the chain’s fiery cooking methods, food and groups of patrons enjoying the restaurant.

“By embracing the essence of our heritage and blending it with fresh culinary innovations … this campaign is about celebrating connection, flavor and tradition," said Barry McGowan, CEO of Fogo de Chão, in the announcement.

Consumers can listen to Bomtempo’s version of “Ring of Fire” and view the spot on Fogo’s social media channels, including YouTube, Instagram and SoundCloud. Additional songs are slated to be released later this year. The campaign, created with the Gale agency, will run across YouTube and TikTok, as well as streaming video.

Fogo’s first branded merch collection, available at the new  www.fogomerch.com site, features coffee mugs with the copy “Wake me up before you Fogo,” and tote bags printed with “This bag may contain fire,” along with T-shirts, beanies and aprons.

Founded in Porto Alegre, Brazil in 1979, Fogo de Chão currently operates approximately 80 locations in Brazil, United States, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Mexico. The chain was acquired by Bain Capital for a reported $1.1 billion in 2023.