Cultural Insight

Reframing National Pride through the Olympic Games

Amplifying collective achievement — aligning sub-brands and consumers around national pride.

#FMCG

Challenge

As Russia prepared to host the Winter Olympic Games, the country’s leading beer brand Baltika Breweries faced a triple constraint: strict alcohol-advertising regulations, Coca-Cola’s exclusivity as the official beverage sponsor, and the paradox of an alcoholic brand supporting elite sport. At the same time, the brand needed to stay relevant to younger audiences while maintaining its role as a symbol of national pride.

Insight

Research showed a distinct emotional cycle surrounding the Olympic Games. National pride surges when a country is announced as a host, then quickly fades into skepticism — only to rise again as the event approaches, peaking during the Games and leaving a strong emotional aftertaste.

For brands, this dynamic presents both a risk and an opportunity: large-scale international events amplify emotions but can also cause brand cannibalization if communication territories overlap. The key is to identify a shared emotional ground between the event and the brand — one that allows participation without appropriation.

In this case, the unifying theme of achievement and unity became that common ground: the Olympic Games unite nations around shared victories, and the brand could naturally join this narrative as a unifier of fans and moments of celebration.

Solution

A national communication platform was created to unite nine subbrands under a single theme of achievement and pride. Two core products played distinct roles:

• Baltika 3 focused on national triumph and collective celebration — the spirit of fans united around shared success.
• Baltika 7 represented aspiration and global recognition — the ambition to achieve at the highest level.

This dual narrative allowed the brand to celebrate the Games without breaching sponsorship limits while maintaining cultural authenticity. The communication shifted from product visibility to emotional participation, positioning the brand as a proud supporter of the nation’s spirit of achievement.

Impact

The campaign successfully maintained brand leadership in a highly regulated environment, met and exceeded communication KPIs, and became one of Carlsberg Group’s most effective examples of leveraging a global event within strict regulatory and competitive boundaries.

Redefining the Relationship Between Russians and the Sun

Reshaping self-care — moving sun protection from leisure to everyday emotional ritual.

#FMCG

Challenge

In Russia, sunscreen penetration was only a few percent compared to over 50% in Western Europe. Consumers saw sunscreen almost exclusively as a vacation-only product — either overusing maximum protection during rare trips abroad or avoiding it altogether in pursuit of a quick tan. The category lacked everyday relevance and emotional connection.

Insight

Cultural and semantic research uncovered a deep emotional paradox: Russians both longed for and underestimated the sun. After long, dark winters, sunlight was associated with happiness, vitality, and renewal — not danger. The task was to replace fear-based narratives about “protection” with a more natural and emotionally balanced relationship: care, harmony, and coexistence with the sun.

Solution

Although the brand initially planned to adapt its global campaign around “family protection,” the Russian team proposed going further — building a new communication platform grounded in local emotion and cultural meaning.

The resulting idea — “Let’s Be Friends with the Sun” — reframed sunscreen not as defense, but as companionship and daily self-care. The BTL campaign brought this idea to life through experiential activations, educational programs, in-store storytelling, and family events that invited people to enjoy the sun safely, not fear it.

The campaign’s emotional power and clarity led the brand to expand the concept across all Russian communication channels, transforming what was initially a BTL initiative into a national 360° campaign. The new platform effectively shifted Nivea Sun’s local brand narrative — from protection against the sun to a friendship with it.

Impact

The campaign elevated the category from niche to emotionally resonant, increasing engagement and awareness while redefining Nivea Sun’s voice in Russia. It became an internal reference for how a locally grounded insight can inspire strategic and creative transformation across all communication levels — from in-store activations to nationwide ATL.

Building a Culture of Everyday Sport

Shifting attitudes — making movement accessible as communal daily belonging.

#publicsector

Challenge

A public organization tasked with promoting sport faced a double challenge: it needed to raise participation levels and create a relatable, human image of sport.

On one side stood policy goals and measurable KPIs; on the other — real people with busy lives, doubts, and a growing distance from anything that felt like “performance.”

To succeed, the project had to find a common language between institutions and citizens — and turn sport from something aspirational into something accessible.

Insight

Our research showed that nearly everyone has a positive attitude toward sport — yet many don’t participate.

For those who rarely exercise, sport feels like an arena for the strong-willed and disciplined — a space of pressure and comparison, not self-expression.

They admire those who train regularly but don’t see themselves as part of that world. The real barrier isn’t motivation — it’s the feeling of not being good enough.

Solution

We built a new brand platform around encouragement rather than achievement.

The narrative redefined sport as a companion, not a competition — a kind coach who’s always nearby, whether you’re running a marathon or just taking your first walk after work.

“Always in touch with sport” became the central idea, connecting city programs, events, and wellness initiatives under one inclusive message that celebrates every small step.

Impact

The new communication system shifted the perception of sport from pressure to presence. It made physical activity feel human, warm, and personal — something you can belong to, not compete with. By turning ambition into connection, the brand helped citizens rediscover sport as a part of everyday life — and built a bridge between institutional purpose and individual experience.

I LOVE COOKING — Reframing a Declining Category

Revitalizing tradition — modernizing a classic product for younger, health-focused cooks.

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Challenge

The mayonnaise category was steadily losing relevance — associated with unhealthy, traditional food and declining among younger consumers. Meanwhile, the sauce segment was growing, taking share from mayonnaise. The task was not only to unify several regional brands under one federal brand I Love Cooking, but to reimagine the category itself — shifting perception from “traditional” to “modern.”

Insight

Despite abundant data from panels and focus groups, the brand team couldn’t see new perspectives — until we approached the research strategically. Through real-life diaries, in-depth interviews, and in-store photo missions, we uncovered a new truth: modern cooking can be both healthy and fast. Mayonnaise appeared as a key ingredient of this “quick comfort” eating — part of sauces, dips, sandwiches, and even baking shortcuts.

Solution

We reframed the brand around the platform Live with Appetite — turning everyday cooking from duty into pleasure. The strategy combined appetite-driven communication with in-store activation, ensuring consumers noticed the brand both on the shelf and in daily life.

Impact

The approach reshaped how the category was viewed internally, inspiring new creative directions and successfully guiding the transition to a unified sub-brand model while stabilizing market share in a declining segment.