Ukrainian Creatives Urge Brands to Drop 'Z' From Their Logos

In recent weeks, the letter Z has become more than the last letter of the alphabet—it’s been hijacked as a symbol supporting Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Visible on the side of Russian tanks rolling into Kyiv, prominent on flags and t-shirts at pro-war rallies in Russia and even taped on the uniform of one Russian athlete as he stood next to a Ukrainian competitor on the podium at the Gymnastics World Cup, the insignia has taken on a new, sinister meaning in the context of war. Now a Ukrainian creative agency is trying to “erase” the letter from public view until peace is restored in the country. Its starting point? Big brand logos. The "Stop Z" initiative, created by Kyiv-based Nebo, is calling on the global community to delete the symbol until Russia faces defeat. “Z is the death of Ukrainian children, women and elderly. Z is destroyed cities and captured nuclear power. Z is hunger, bullying, robbery. Z is a lie. Z is the new swastika. Z is Russia, which revived fascism in Europe,” reads the copy on the campaign landing page. “Do not use the letter Z in your names and logos,” the message continues, asking brands to replace it instead with the number three. The creative shop has put together a downloadable graphic design kit that allows companies to easily make this switch, showing how it might look if brands such as Amazon or Zara dropped the letter entirely. Zurich Insurance revealed last week that it had already removed its Z logo from certain social media channels where it might be "misinterpreted" and admitted it was considering ditching the icon entirely. Louis Vuitton, meanwhile, came under fire from consumers last week after unveiling a jewelry collection with a Z lightning-bolt shape at its centre. Elsewhere, Ukrainian music production group Mozgi has switched out the Z in its branding. Z: a symbol of 'betrayal' The letter Z does not exist in the Cyrillic Russian alphabet. However, it was first spotted being painted on Russian military vehicles weeks before the invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. Kamil Galeev, a journalist residing in Moscow, explained the reasoning behind its adoption on Twitter last month. “Z is a letter that Russian Military are putting on their vehicles departing to Ukraine. Some interpret Z as Za pobedy (for victory). Others—as Zapad (West),” he said, noting it how quickly it had become a symbol of a "new Russian ideology and national identity.” Nebo managing partner Olga Kokoshko told Adweek that for Ukrainians the letter had become a symbol of "betrayal." "The Russians are dropping bombs on peaceful cities, killing children, women and the elderly. This is a real genocide of the Ukrainian people. [The Russians are] marking themselves with the Z sign; they have created a new swastika [for] the 21st century." "Now Z for Ukrainians is associated with war and death. This is why we decided to support the information war and unite the whole world in the fight against Russia and Russian fascism." Zurich contemplates scrapping Z logo entirely Zurich's rethink of its own Z logo came before the "Stop Z" campaign launched. However, its a decision that shows how advertising are thinking carefully about their visual messaging in an era of digital warfare and misinformation. "We are temporarily removing the use of the letter ‘Z’ from social channels where it appears in isolation and could be misinterpreted," the company said in a statement. "We're monitoring the situation closely and will take further actions if and when required. The Zurich brand has been around for 150 years. It is a trusted brand and we have proven our ability to change and respond to challenges over time." Kokoshko said her agency is starting with business logos because she believes brands have a duty to underscore their principles. "This war affects all of us, because it attacks our values, so brands should respond. They can no longer take an [apolitical] position," she added. Over 450 advertisers have now ceased operations in Russia, including multinational giants such as Coca-Cola, Ikea and McDonald's. As well as shuttering operations in the country, consumer brands, industry groups and other commercial entities have been offering aid to Ukrainian refugees. The creative community has banded together to help those fleeing from war too, including Hire for Ukraine, a platform created by two Russian brothers in New York that's connecting Ukrainian digital and creative talent with jobs. Over the past few weeks, Adweek has been profiling those looking for work since fleeing their homeland. Brands and Advertisers Can Keep Making a Difference for Ukraine

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Ukrainian Creatives Urge Brands to Drop 'Z' From Logos: 'It’s the New Swastika'

'Stop Z' campaign asks advertisers to rethink branding as Putin supporters co-opt symbol

Rebecca Stewart

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Rebecca Stewart