What Ukraine Needs From Agencies and Brands at Cannes

The all-out war unleashed by russia (yes, lowercase) has devastated Ukraine in so many ways. By mid-May, more than 6 million Ukrainians—including me—had fled their homeland, with even more getting displaced within the country. The war has taken a heavy toll on people’s lives and homes as well as national infrastructure and businesses—including the creative sector. A considerable portion of Ukrainian creative businesses and professionals had to pause work when the war began. Pro-bono assignments are plentiful, but paying projects are now scarcely available on the national market. So creatives are going global. But this path is thorny. “In Ukraine, new local agencies are rated by the team’s names and awards. A strong portfolio, even featuring national brands only, secures clients,” said Ilia Anufrienko, founder and creative director of Ukrainian advertising agency Bickerstaff.734. “But it’s not even slightly the same when a Ukrainian agency enters a Western market.” From a business point of view, the risks seem high; the war in Ukraine is like a huge blocker. Still, high risks are almost always linked to great opportunities.Max Iliukhin, head of product development, Fedoriv Global advertising industry clients are strictly divided among acclaimed agencies. So it requires titanic effort from an unknown Ukrainian agency to catch a client in the European Union, United Kingdom or United States. That's why this year's Cannes Lions is an opportunity for brands and agencies to show their support for Ukrainian professionals as war continues to ravage their nation. Creative collaboration Now is the time to envision Ukrainian creative minds as fair partners, not rivals. This isn't charity. It's an opportunity to tap into a talent pool that's proven itself ready for anything. “Our industry is harsh with endless tasks, tight deadlines and immense pressure. But we really know how to handle it,” said Igor Finashkin, the founder and creative director at creative communication agency Iamidea. He believes that Ukrainian creative power, steeled and potent, can infuse the industry with new energy. This partnership won’t be possible without unprecedented openness—or even bravery—from global creative agencies and brands. “The main thing in the creative industry is reputation," Anufrienko said. "We worked long and hard to gain it on our market. Now, we need to obtain it in the West in a few weeks, which is surreal." How Ukraine's Creatives Are Helping Win the War and Keeping the World's Attention The world’s most respected agencies can help by taking talented Ukrainian teams under their wings and “kindly giving real projects or sharing clients, probably as part of creative patronage or even collaboration,” he added. For agencies and CEOs, it sounds daring. And it is daring. “From a business point of view, the risks seem high; the war in Ukraine is like a huge blocker. Still, high risks are almost always linked to great opportunities,” said Max Iliukhin, head of product development at marketing and innovations agency Fedoriv. But there's no need to strike a large-scale project from day one—instead, one might “start with a small test project to reduce the risks,” Iliukhin added. Based on the test project’s results, clients and partners can then decide whether to proceed with full-fledged and long-term cooperation. The many forms of support If sharing the same brief with a newcomer still feels perilous, there are other options. “One could also partner with a Ukrainian agency from an adjacent creative domain,” said Nata Ivanova, co-founder of the Crevv design studio. For instance, an advertising agency from the U.S. or Sweden can partner with a Ukraine-based design or production studio. While some agencies might hesitate to share their business contacts, they might provide some informational support. “It would be awesome if designers could share a list of nice local printing studios, art and book shops, and catalogs of paper samples available for order in their country,” Ivanova added. Speaking out about Ukrainian creatives or recommending them will also be appreciated—the more awareness, the better. The ways to support the Ukrainian creative industry are numerous. For instance, international A-list agencies might go as far as launching new communication campaigns to tell the world about Ukraine’s strength. Or major brands might offer internships for Ukrainian marketing specialists to encourage them to take a sneak peek into their business philosophies. Now, the ball is in the global creative and business community’s court. Regardless of the nature and extent of their future collaboration with Ukrainian agencies, it requires a leap of faith. But what significant breakthrough hasn't?

Cannes Lions

What Ukraine Needs From Agencies and Brands at Cannes

Now is a vital time to offer creative partnerships and shared opportunities

Hanna Rudenko

About

Subscriptions

Events

Publications

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Subscribe today!

Hanna Rudenko