1st. The First Regional Advertising Festival starts in Russia

AKAR announced the start of a strategically important competition that will help identify the most creative representatives of the country’s advertising industry. It will take place in Russia from April 26 to July 2.
Both large advertising agencies and brands and freelancers will be able to present work at the federal level, get an objective examination, identify growth points and meet market leaders. For beginners, it will be the start in the festival race and will provide an opportunity to conquer new professional heights. Acceptance of applications online has already begun on the festival website.

The organizer – the Association of Communication Agencies of Russia (AKAR) – focuses on accessible and understandable participation, therefore guarantees the contestants friendly consulting and assistance at all stages. Each of the applications will receive open feedback from top experts in the advertising industry. Regional winners of the competition will be able to present their cases for free at the international advertising festival Red Apple.

Valentin SMOLYAKOV, First Vice President of AKAR:

“Last year was special and showed that the advertising market as a business can only develop in conditions of general consolidation.

The pandemic has put the development of the regional market on a more technologically advanced track. That is why holding an advertising festival is a significant initiative: the time has come to exchange experience within the framework of an open dialogue, to mark agencies with a pronounced potential and to discuss prospects for further development.

We call on all colleagues to actively participate in the life of the project so that the Regional Festival becomes a new tradition for our industry”.

1st is a competition for creative people, which will reveal the best projects and cases of the regional advertising industry in all relevant areas of the communication sphere: Digital, Video, Audio, Design, Creative, Production, PR, Event and others.

The 1st Regional Festival is represented by three groups of categories: DIGITAL, CREATIVE, ACTIVATIONS. They consist of many nominations: from SMM and native advertising to social and digital campaigns, mobile applications, branding and outdoor advertising – more than 40 in total. The subcategories of the competition are adapted for projects of any format, both external and internal communications.

The jury of the competition was headed by the leaders of the national rating of creativity AKAR.

1st Jury President – General Director of BBDO Moscow, Managing Director of BBDO Group Igor Kirikchi.

Jury Chairpersons by Category:

DIGITAL: Managing Creative Director of “Possible” Group Moscow Vladilen Sitnikov;

CREATIVE: Creative Director of the Voskhod agency Anton Rozhin;

ACTIVATIONS: Managing Creative Director of “e: mg” Group Anton Melnikov.

The experts will also include representatives of key agencies, brands and media.

1st Jury President – CEO of BBDO Moscow, Managing Director of BBDO Group Igor Kirikchi:

“I agreed with pleasure to head the jury, because a third of the festival’s success depends on the jury. Two other factors are the work submitted and the educational program. And I am very interested in the success of this festival simply because our industry really needs an influx of new talented people. And Moscow, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg “alone” have not been able to cope with this lately. The staff deficit is obvious. And where, if not in the regions, to look for talents? In addition, since the end of the Idea festival, there has been a lack of a Russian-language festival in Russia. We have a rather verbal culture, and many works simply do not have a chance to gain recognition when evaluated by people who do not speak Russian”.

Participation in the competition does not require physical presence or transfer of materials: applications are accepted online from April 26 to June 18, 2021. After that, the jury will begin the examination of the projects. Experts will evaluate each work, determine the shortlist, prize-winners, winners and owners of the Grand Prix of the competition. Contestants will receive all information through their personal account on the festival website.

The final event of the First Regional Advertising Contest will be an offline festival, which will be held as part of the Advertising Forum NAF “Regions” on July 1 and 2, 2021 in Yekaterinburg. The award ceremony is scheduled for July 2.

Festival website: www.1festival.ru

Festival organizers:

AKAR URAL, AKAR, CRBK, ADPASS

Industrial content portal: ADPASS

General industrial partner: Sostav

Supported by: IAB Russia, RAMU

Communication partner: CA “GlavSovetnik”