Our young talents, Ruslana and Lada, have recently returned from judging the ADCE Awards Ukraine, where they had the honor of evaluating entries alongside leading European creatives. The girls shared their impressions of the level of Ukrainian advertising through the eyes of an international jury.

What do European creatives think about Ukrainian advertising?

According to the judges, Ukrainian creatives often use non-standard and bold solutions, especially when it comes to social projects.

In Ukraine, we often use AI to create digital ads, but in Europe, this tool is used only for presentations to clients.

At the same time, the judges noted that Ukrainian advertising has several peculiarities that should be taken into account:

The oversaturated information space: In Ukraine, it is much harder to fight for the audience's attention than in Europe. Therefore, Ukrainian creatives are forced to look for more original and non-standard solutions.

Focus on the negative: Much of the Ukrainian work is dedicated to the war. This is an important topic, but the judges note that it is often presented one-sidedly, emphasizing the negative aspects. To surprise the judges, it is worth paying attention to the positive changes in the problem that was addressed.

Insufficient adaptation to the European context: It is difficult for Europe to understand the nuances of the situation in Ukraine. Therefore, when presenting your work, you should not only demonstrate the idea, but also explain in detail why this problem is so important.

How can I increase my chances of winning international competitions?

To do this, we can identify two of the most winning strategies, in our opinion:

1. Going local: you should pay more attention to Ukrainian culture, history, and traditions. This will help make the work more authentic and interesting for an international audience.

2. Adapt a project that is understandable outside of Ukraine: create a case that will be understandable and interesting to a European audience without losing its authenticity. It is important that the work is understandable not only to Ukrainians but also to representatives of other cultures. To do this, it is necessary to carefully work out the visual part and provide sufficient context.

The Ukrainian creative industry has a huge potential. According to our colleagues, we have every chance to become leaders in the world of advertising and design. The main thing is to continue experimenting, developing and not being afraid to go beyond the usual.