“People are used to being entertained, and nobody wants to hear about suffering, pain and death, no matter how terrifying it may sound,” he said. “Our mission is to make war more captivating than the Johnny Depp court case or a showdown between Elon Musk and Zuckerberg.”
To achieve this, the agency constantly comes up with new approaches. When it developed a crypto-donation campaign for the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, the agency didn’t use fright tactics by showing bombed buildings. Instead, it proposed investing in peace and recorded a rap video with the country’s prime minister and doves. In another campaign, the agency convinced people to wear their best leopard attire to help convince Germany to provide Ukraine with much-needed Leopard tanks. The #FreeTheLeopards social campaign led to protests and posts that eventually convinced the Germans to supply Ukraine with the tanks.
Defining the Ukrainian spirit
Bickerstaff also launched a a redesign for the Ukrainian milk brand Galychyna, named after a region in the west of Ukraine. Despite Galychyna being historic and esteemed, the agency wanted to offer consumers a message of collective strength by spotlighting the country at large. “We Instead of Me” replaced “Galychyna” on bottles with regions that have been particularly vulnerable during the war. It was met with widespread praise on social media. Tweets, which have been translated from Ukrainian, reflect a somber sense of pride. One user wrote: “This is not about the war, but how to survive a business during a war on minimal means,” celebrating the significance of the agency’s innovation that is independent from the conflict or the creative itself.
When reflecting on why Ukrainian creative work will always matter, Maria Kochurenko, managing partner and creative strategist at Bickerstaff.734, stressed that an unwavering resourcefulness has always lived at the core of her culture.
“We have this phrase in Ukraine that Ukrainian volunteers can find you an elephant if you need it,” said Kochurenko, who emphasized that the country’s heightened sense of unity must be maintained, “after the victory…That’s all you need to know about our people.”
