The Ukrainian Ad Agency Persevering in the Face of War: ‘We Want To Work’

On Feb. 23, staff from Kyiv-based creative shop Nebo went go-karting. “It was a team building trip. We went for some delicious food afterwards, everyone was chatting and drinking,” said Olga Kokoshko, the agency’s managing partner. Though enjoying herself, she dipped out of the festivities early to pack for a birthday trip planned the next day. On Feb. 24, everything changed when Russia officially waged war on Ukraine. At 5am Kokoshko’s phone pinged with message after message from concerned relatives and friends. The luggage she’d packed for her holiday was bundled into a car along with her two cats and family, and she fled to the remote countryside in Ukraine for what she thought would be “10 or 11 days.” “When we drove out, we could hear rockets flying over the city. It was so scary,” she said. People Want Brands to Take Action on Russia-Ukraine War, but Not Through Ads The immediate aftermath While Russian artillery shelled Ukraine’s capital, Kokoshko’s team mapped out routes to safety. Work, of course, stopped entirely. As the air raid sirens sounded, one of the agency’s copywriters sought shelter for days in Kyiv’s underground metro. One by one Nebo's team members made their way out of the city. For now, they are scattered around Ukraine, with most having made the very “personal” decision to stay close to loved ones rather than seek refuge elsewhere in Europe. Kokoshko herself decided to leave her homeland and made her way across the continent. The journey to Porto, Portugal, where she’s currently based with family members including her 87-year-old grandfather, took seven days. By the time she arrived in Portugal, the agency had already made the incredible decision get back on its feet and continue to service clients, as well as work on projects to support Ukraine. “Since day three of the war, we’ve been working. The first few days were extremely hard. Everyone was in a state of shock. But then we realized we had to talk to each other, support each other. We started talking to clients, too, and then we brought Nebo back to life. It was very fast; some businesses are still in that frozen state.” Mobilizing a team of 'beautiful, creative people' While Nebo’s "beautiful, creative people," as described by Kokoshko, have very much been in support of the decision, Kokoshko’s priority above serving clients has been ensuring their wellbeing and safety. In total, six out of the agency’s 15 staffers have chosen to continue working. Working is giving us a chance to support our families, country, and everything we love.Olga Kokoshko, managing partner, Nebo A Nebo morning ritual now comprises a search online to monitor which areas of Ukraine have been hit by explosions. Beyond that, the emotional toll of war is something Kokoshko is also making space for, holding regular one-on-one meetings to check in with her team. “People are only working when they feel they’re ready to work. It’s OK for people to stop when they need to,” she said. Though all structure and processes were “destroyed” at the outset of the war, they’re slowly creeping back into place. “[Working] is giving us a chance to support our families, country and everything we love,” explained the Miami Ad School graduate, revealing the agency got back to work less than one week after Russia’s invasion. “When the war is over, I will return to Ukraine and my team will be back.” In the weeks since the war started, Nebo (which means "sky" in Ukrainian) has finished a rebrand it was working on for local toy company Igroteco, designed a logo for Ukrainian armed forces charity True Victory and created a social media campaign for vegan range Zelena Korova. It’s also spearheaded a campaign to get brands to drop the letter ‘Z’ from their logos in response to the symbol becoming a pro-war insignia. “At the same time we’ve offered our help to longstanding clients without any charge if they need to communicate anything [important] to Ukrainians,” she said. Six of Nebo's 15 staff have been working since day three of the war A rallying call to European agencies Though the creative shop does have some global brands on its books (including Martini and The Red Cross), the majority are local. This means the impact on Ukrainian businesses will have a ripple effect on Nebo and other agencies like it. To rise to this challenge, Nebo is calling on its Ukrainian and European bedfellows to collaborate on projects. This, Kokoshko believes, will not only foster greater connections now, but will help future-proof the agency for difficult years ahead as her homeland rebuilds its infrastructure and economy. "I feel that this is a time to collaborate with agencies not to compete for clients. Through creative collaborations, we can share our cultures and evolve and hopefully these relationships will become long-lasting ones," she said. Since the war started, the managing partner has reached out to several European peers. Her letters and LinkedIn posts eventually took her to Amsterdam a few weeks ago to meet with some, including Achtung/Dentsu, TBWA\Neboko, Vitue, Wieden+Kennedy and 180 Amsterdam. We want to show we can still work fast and be creative despite all of the pain.Olga Kokoshko, managing partner, Nebo Following these discussions, Nebo is now working on a yet-to-launch "powerful project" with 72andSunny Amsterdam to show support for Ukraine. "We want to show we can still work fast and be creative despite all of the pain," Kokoshko said. "We love to work, there are many people in Ukraine that need donations and need support. But we don't need donations, and we don't need support. We just need work." "We're not just asking [European agencies] for help though, we can also bring our own value and perspective. Even with a small budget, we can do crazy stuff. And I believe that we can make any team richer." Some of Kokoshko's family members still fighting in Ukraine where she hopes to one day return to work and be able to "hug the ones she loves" once again. How the Advertising Industry Can Really Help Ukraine