How the marketing industry is responding to the Ukraine war

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, agencies and marketers have been speaking out about efforts they are taking related to the war, including supporting staff in the region and halting business with Russian entities.

Ad Age is keeping track of the latest moves being made. Check back here for updates. 

March 1, 2022

9:40 AM ET

Disney, Sony and Warner Bros. halt film releases in Russia

Disney, Warner Bros., and Sony Pictures have paused film releases in Russia. Stated Disney: “Given the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and the tragic humanitarian crisis, we are pausing the release of theatrical films in Russia, including the upcoming Turning Red from Pixar. We will make future business decisions based on the evolving situation.”

Warner Bros. halted this week’s release of "The Batman" in Russia, while Sony paused releases including “Morbius,” Reuters reports.

-- E.J Schultz

7:15 AM ET

D&AD refunds entry cost for Ukraine agencies

U.K. awards body D&AD announced it will refund all money received by Ukrainian companies for entries into D&AD Awards 2022 to the entrants. This will include any entries received to date as well as any further work received from Ukranian companies, which can enter the competition free of charge until entries close March 16. Russian entries into D&AD Awards 2022 will be paid as a donation to the Art Director's Club of Ukraine.

“Our thoughts are with the Ukrainian people who are suffering, and we hope that through the global community's joint efforts we will be able to help them through this crisis and support them to recover from this unjust and unthinkable devastation and destruction,” said Dara Lynch, D&AD's chief operating officer, in a statement. 

D&AD’s range of entry prices can be downloaded from the D&AD website, which has also added a page of information on practical ways to help Ukraine.

—Alexandra Jardine

Feb. 28, 2022

8:20 PM ET

WPP and Stagwell send internal memos about Ukraine 

Earlier today, WPP CEO Mark Read sent a memo to the holding company’s staff, referencing its 200 employees in Ukraine. The company’s Ukraine leaders have been in touch with their teams twice daily, according to the memo. WPP paid an “additional amount” to its Ukraine employees last week to help meet their immediate needs and has given them access to medical advice and other practical resources, Read wrote. 

The memo describes how colleagues across WPP have been aiding the Ukraine effort, including WPP’s Warsaw campus collecting items people will need such as mattresses and children’s car seats, Romanian colleagues providing transport from the border to Bucharest, as well as office space and accommodations for colleagues, Prague employees collecting donations, and WPP agency Blue State partnering with The UN Refugee Agency to run an emergency fundraising appeal (supported through pro bono media work by GroupM) to help the thousands of people forced to flee their homes. WPP will be making an initial donation and matching donations by WPP employees, according to the memo.

Stagwell Chairman and CEO Mark Penn in a memo to his company shared his thoughts on what he called an “unprecedented assault in modern times on a peaceful, democratic country that is triggering unparalleled global solidarity.” In the letter, Penn explains Stagwell is assisting its agencies with people in the Ukraine region by reaching out to ensure their safety and offer support. He said he received many emails from Stagwell employees about the situation, highlighted a few who have taken action and encouraged employees to continue reaching out.

—Brian Bonilla

5:35 PM ET

NHL pauses ties with Russian companies

The NHL is pausing Russian language social and digital media sites and suspending relationships with Russian business partners, the league announced today. It is also “discontinuing any consideration of Russia as a location for any future competitions involving the NHL.”  ESPN reports the moves includ pulling games from the Russian-based Yandex internet company, which airs NHL games in a partnership that began in 2019.

—E.J. Schultz

5:15 PM ET

From beer to bombs

One Ukrainian beer marketer is not messing around when it comes to contributing to the country’s war effort. Reuters reports that Pravda Beer Brewery in Lviv, Ukraine is making Molotov cocktails in bottles with labels including an image of Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to euronews.com, one of the brewery’s offerings, Putin Huylo, translates to “Putin is a dickhead.”

2:40 PM ET

Airbnb offers housing for Ukrainian refugees

Airbnb is offering free short-term housing for up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees who are fleeing the Russian invasion of their country and will work with neighboring European states to provide long-term stays. Leaders from the San Francisco-based company, including CEO Brian Chesky, wrote to the governments of Poland, Romania, Germany and Hungary offering support for housing refugees, according to a statement from Airbnb. The housing will be funded by the company, donors and hosts on the platform. While the crisis is still ongoing, more than 300,000 Ukrainians have left following Russia’s invasion and the European Commission forecasts that the number could grow to millions.

—Bloomberg News

12:05 PM ET

Russian meerkat ads pulled

U.K.financial comparison website Compare the Market is pulling its long-running ad campaign, which features Russian-accented meerkats, from news bulletins due to the invasion of Ukraine.

The popular campaign by agency VCCP and animation company Passion Pictures has been running since 2009  and features an animated Russian oligarch-type character, Alexsandr Orlov, and his friends and family. The campaign has won several awards and has included spin-off merchandise including furry meerkats and a volume of “memoirs” by the main character.

A spokesperson told The Guardian: “The Comparethemarket meerkats are fictional characters. They have no association with Russia and the current situation. We are continually reviewing our advertising to ensure we’re being sensitive to the current situation.”

—Alexandra Jardine

11:15 AM ET

Russian vodkas pulled from shelves

Several states have begun pulling Russia-made vodka from shelves, reports liquor trade publication Shanken News Daily. Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, Utah and New Hampshire—so-called control states that have authority over the sale of distilled spirits—are among those taking action. The biggest Russia-made brand is Russia Standard, according to Shanken, which notes that the value of Russian vodka shipped to the U.S. last year totaled $21.4 million, which amounts to a 1.5% share of the total $1.42 billion in imported vodka.

Reports Shanken: “Several states have been careful to point out that some brands with Russian heritage, such as Smirnoff and Stolichnaya, are not made in Russia, and therefore will be exempt from the bans.”

Smirnoff, which is owned by Diageo, notes on its Twitter page that it is “Proudly made in America.”

—E.J. Schultz