Ukraine and the information war: creativity in times of conflict
As part of The Drum Show’s ongoing look at the information war in and around Ukraine, this week we discuss how creativity can be both weaponized and a force for good in times of conflict.
To explore the topic, the panel welcomed Maya Bogle of Talent House, who has launched an initiative to help Ukraine creatives, and Michael Moszynski of London Advertising, who has helped create a campaign for the Ukrainian Resistance Movement.
The creative work coming both out of and in support of Ukraine continues to impress, and the panelists discussed how a collective of Ukrainian creatives, led by the Angry agency, asked music composer Roger Leao and his team to write a new version of the Russian National Anthem featuring real sounds from the conflict.
They also debated some of the unsophisticated attempts of Russian propaganda. First came a video of UK Defense Minister Ben Wallace, who was scammed by two Russian comedians. Following a bit of careful editing, viewers were left with the sense he was about to send nuclear missiles to Ukraine. Meanwhile, a Russian government campaign was used in an attempt to fight Russophobia by representing the Russian people as huskies.
And finally, Ukraine itself is well known within the industry for its strong digital workforce and a burgeoning creative scene. In an effort to support the industry professionals impacted by the conflict, Talenthouse has developed є!Креатив (or e!Creative in English), a platform that simplifies the scoping selection and collaboration with creatives. ElloWorks by Talenthouse will take no commission from the projects, with 100% of the fee going directly to the creatives. Brands, startups, agencies, as well as Ukrainian creatives are invited to sign up.