In October 2024, a project was launched that changed the way Brazil looks at the issue of missing people. Created by the milk brand Piracanjuba, the campaign brought updated images of missing individuals to milk cartons, showing how they would look today.
The first phase of the project included 20 images. These were not simple portraits, but carefully reconstructed visuals created with sensitivity, realism, and respect. The impact was immediate. The campaign was embraced nationwide and quickly went beyond advertising, becoming a powerful social movement. As a direct result of this first phase, eight missing people were found.
The initiative gained massive attention and went on to receive multiple international advertising awards. More importantly, it demonstrated how creativity, when used responsibly, can generate real social impact and help save lives.
Each carton holds a face, a name, and a life that is still missing. Remembering them keeps hope alive
#1 Flávio Henrique Da Silva
Current age: 13 years old
City: Peixoto de Azevedo, Brazil
Last seen on: January 18, 2015, in Peixoto de Azevedo, Brazil.
When he was just 10 years old, he disappeared on January 18, 2015, in Peixoto de Azevedo, Mato Grosso. He was at home when he left and never came back, vanishing without any explanation.
Image source: Piracanjuba/desaparecidos/Hidreley
I was selected to create the images for this project after my work went viral online. Over the years, my artistic path has become closely associated with the use of artificial intelligence to recreate human faces, with a strong focus on age progression. My specialty lies in updating faces realistically while preserving identity, expression, and essential facial features, avoiding generic or artificial results.
This approach comes from years of practical experience and continuous study of facial anatomy, proportions, and natural aging processes. My goal has never been to showcase technology itself, but to use it as a tool to tell meaningful stories. In several previous projects, I have recreated the faces of missing individuals, always working with deep respect for their families and personal histories.
#2 Otacílio Ferreira Junior
Current age: 48 years old
City: Nova Friburgo, Brazil
Last seen on: January 25, 2011, in Nova Friburgo, Brazil.
He disappeared on January 25, 2011, in Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro. That day, he left home planning to travel to Niterói for work, but he never arrived at his destination and did not return.
Image source: Piracanjuba/desaparecidos/Hidreley
#3 Bruna Marques De Melo
Current age: 20 years old
City: Frutal, Brazil
Last seen on: October 23, 2009, in Frutal, Brazil.
When she was just four years old, she disappeared on October 23, 2009, in Frutal, Minas Gerais. That afternoon, she was playing outside her home with her twin brother and other children when, in a brief and unexplained moment, she vanished without a trace.
Image source: Piracanjuba/desaparecidos/Hidreley
Now, I am preparing the second phase of this project—a new chapter that carries both the responsibility of the first campaign’s success and the hope for new reunions. Each image is created with a clear purpose: to make someone visible again, to bring a face back into the present where it can be recognized.
This project is not only about artificial intelligence, advertising, or milk packaging. It is about memory, empathy, and social responsibility. It is about using art as a bridge between the past and the present, between absence and possibility.
Above all, it is a reminder that missing people are not statistics. They are lives, stories, and identities that deserve to be seen again.
#4 Danielle Brito Nunes
Current age: 42 years old
City: São Paulo, Brazil
Last seen on: January 19, 2000, in São Paulo, Brazil.
In São Paulo, as on any ordinary morning, Maria Nunes left home early for work, leaving her 17 year old daughter, Danielle Brito Nunes, asleep. Danielle was supposed to go to work later that day. When Maria returned home, she immediately sensed something was wrong. Danielle was not there.
As the hours passed, the concern turned into fear. Maria contacted her daughter’s workplace and was shocked to learn that Danielle had never shown up. It soon became clear that Danielle had left home without her documents and wearing the same clothes she had slept in.
The family began an urgent and relentless search, desperate for answers. Danielle disappeared on January 19, 2000, and the case remains unresolved. Today, she is 42 years old, and her family continues to search with hope, faith, and the certainty that she is alive and can still be found.
Image source: Piracanjuba/desaparecidos/Hidreley
#5 João Rafael Kovalski
Current age: 13 years old
City: Adrianópolis, Brazil
Last seen on: August 24, 2013, in Adrianópolis, Brazil.
At just two years old, he disappeared on August 24, 2013, in Adrianópolis, Paraná. He was playing in the yard of his family’s rural home when, in a brief moment of distraction, he vanished without leaving any trace.
Image source: Piracanjuba/desaparecidos/Hidreley
#6 Pamela Kimberly Da Silva
Current age: 30 years old
City: Jacareí, Brazil
Last seen on: June 29, 2005, in Jacareí, Brazil.
She disappeared on June 29, 2005, in Jacareí, São Paulo. Since that day, there has been no confirmed information about what happened or where she went.
With so few details available, her disappearance remains a painful mystery for those who love her.
Image source: Piracanjuba/desaparecidos/Hidreley
#7 Bianca Cerqueira Faria
Current age: 34 years old
City: Salvador, Brazil
Last seen on: January 2, 2005, in Salvador, Brazil.
When she was just 14 years old, she disappeared on January 2, 2005, in Salvador, Bahia. She left home that day and never reached her destination, vanishing without leaving any trace.
Image source: Piracanjuba/desaparecidos/Hidreley
#8 Ícaro Alexandre Pereira De Lima Rocha
Current age: 16 years old
City: Balneário Camboriú, Brazil
Last seen on: February 9, 2016, in Balneário Camboriú, Brazil.
When he was 12 years old, he disappeared on February 9, 2016, in Balneário Camboriú, Santa Catarina. On that day, he left home and never returned, vanishing without explanation.
Image source: Piracanjuba/desaparecidos/Hidreley
#9 Tatiele Terra Felipe
Current age: 19 years old
City: Cascavel, Brazil
Last seen on: December 13, 2016, in Cascavel, Brazil.
At just ten years old, she disappeared on December 13, 2016, in the Bairro Universitário neighborhood of Cascavel, Paraná. She lived with her grandmother and was last seen when she left home to fetch a tool from a nearby area. She never returned.
Image source: Piracanjuba/desaparecidos/Hidreley
#10 Natan Moreira Da Costa
Current age: 20 years old
City: Altamira, Brazil
Last seen on: September 24, 2014, in Altamira, Brazil.
When he was just 9 years old, he disappeared on September 24, 2014, in Altamira, Pará. On that day, he left and never returned, vanishing without any explanation or confirmed sighting.
His sudden disappearance devastated his family, who immediately began searching the town and surrounding areas, desperate for any clue that could lead to him.
Despite ongoing hope and effort, no confirmed trace has ever been found.
Image source: Piracanjuba/desaparecidos/Hidreley
#11 Polyanna Ketlyn Da Silva Ribeiro
Current age: 20 years old
City: Niterói, Brazil
Last seen on: April 2, 2015, in Niterói, Brazil.
At just ten years old, she disappeared on April 2, 2015, in the Piratininga neighborhood of Niterói, Rio de Janeiro. She left home to buy something at a nearby stall and said she would return shortly, but never came back.
Image source: Piracanjuba/desaparecidos/Hidreley
#12 Vitória Nunes Barcellos Dos Santos
Current age: 13 years old
City: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Last seen on: January 9, 2015, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
At just three years old, she disappeared on January 9, 2015, in the Benfica neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro. After attending a church service with her family, her mother briefly turned away to get water, and in that brief moment, she vanished from the church entrance.
She was very young and still learning to speak, which made the situation even more distressing for her family. The search began immediately, with relatives, neighbors, and volunteers desperately looking for any sign of her.
Image source: Piracanjuba/desaparecidos/Hidreley
#13 Erick Luan Jorge
Current age: 19 years old
City: Mogi das Cruzes, Brazil
Last seen on: July 10, 2016, in Mogi das Cruzes, Brazil.
Erik was just a young boy when he and his sister disappeared on July 10, 2016, in Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo. That day, they left together to run errands and were expected to return home later, but Erik never came back.
As days turned into weeks, fear and uncertainty gripped their family. His sister’s disappearance added to the pain, but all attention and efforts focused intensely on finding Erik, who was last seen in the neighborhood where they lived.
The community, friends, and relatives searched tirelessly, sharing his image and details everywhere they could, hoping for even the smallest clue.
Image source: Piracanjuba/desaparecidos/Hidreley
#14 Jair Bispo Da Silva Junior
Current age: 38 years old
City: São Paulo, Brazil
Last seen on: August 7, 2013, in Santo Amaro, São Paulo, Brazil.
He disappeared on August 7, 2013, in the Santo Amaro neighborhood of São Paulo. That day, he left without his personal documents and never returned, vanishing without any explanation.
Image source: Piracanjuba/desaparecidos/Hidreley
#15 João Luiz Dos Santos
Current age: 62 years old
City: São Paulo, Brazil
Last seen on: March 4, 2015, in São Paulo, Brazil.
João Luiz dos Santos disappeared in March 2015, in São Paulo, at the age of 52. On the day he vanished, he woke up earlier than usual and left home while his wife was still asleep. He never returned.
A father of two daughters, João Luiz worked as a metalworker and was undergoing psychiatric treatment, as he struggled with depression. That day, he did not go to work because he was not feeling well and planned to attend a medical appointment. He often enjoyed walking, usually heading to Parque Celso Daniel in Santo André, but on that occasion he went elsewhere.
Since that morning, João Luiz has never been seen again. Years have passed, and the case remains unresolved. Today, he is 62 years old, and his family continues searching with hope, faith, and the certainty that he is alive and can still be found.
Image source: Piracanjuba/desaparecidos/Hidreley
#16 Andressa De Jesus Da Silva
Current age: 18 years old
City: São Paulo, Brazil
Last seen on: November 27, 2017, in São Paulo, Brazil.
At just ten years old, she disappeared on November 27, 2017, after leaving her home in the southern zone of São Paulo. She told her family she was going to a nearby friend’s house, but never returned.
When night fell and there was no sign of her, her family began a desperate search throughout the neighborhood. The police were notified, and her disappearance deeply impacted relatives, friends, and the local community.
Image source: Piracanjuba/desaparecidos/Hidreley
#17 Marcos Vinicius De Oliveira De Sá Nolêto
Current age: 41 years old
City: Luziânia, Brazil
Last seen on: June 17, 2013, in Luziânia, Brazil.
He has been missing for 13 years. He disappeared in Brasília, and the last time he was seen was in the Jardim Ingá neighborhood, in Luziânia, Goiás.
Image source: Piracanjuba/desaparecidos/Hidreley
#18 Vitória Claudiano Nogueira
Current age: 27 years old
City: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Last seen on: June 5, 2009, in Irajá, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
When he was just 16 years old, he disappeared on June 5, 2009, in the Irajá neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro. He was last seen leaving home and never returned.
Image source: Piracanjuba/desaparecidos/Hidreley
#19 Felipe Barreto Braga Merigo
Current age: 33 years old
City: São Paulo, Brazil
Last seen on: April 3, 2014, in São Paulo, Brazil.
When he was 22 years old, he disappeared on April 3, 2014. That day, he left home in the city of Santos with the intention of traveling to Pirassununga to visit his girlfriend, but he never arrived at his destination.
Image source: Piracanjuba/desaparecidos/Hidreley
#20 Gerson Da Silva Bernardo
Current age: 31 years old
City: Itaquaquecetuba, Brazil
Last seen on: December 26, 2015, in Itaquaquecetuba, Brazil.
Gerson da Silva Bernardo disappeared at the age of 21 on December 26, in Itaquaquecetuba, São Paulo. His disappearance was sudden and mysterious, leaving his family with more questions than answers.
At the time, Gerson was involved in a troubled relationship with the mother of his children and had reportedly received threats from her family. Shortly after, he vanished without leaving any clear trace of where he went or what may have happened.
Image source: Piracanjuba/desaparecidos/Hidreley
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