The Ukrainian Campaign That Aims to Boost Economic Growth

As Ukraine continues to fight for its sovereignty against Russia’s invasion, the country is also attempting to shore up its economy. As part of that, a nonprofit organization and campaign, Spend With Ukraine (SWU), has been established to promote products and services that are available for access to customers all around the world.

The online platform works with over 220 Ukrainian-rooted businesses, from tech to creative, lifestyle, education and fashion brands. Those include MacPaw, Bevza, Petcube, Grammarly, Reface, Preply, Delfast, Awesomic and Gunia Project.

Ahead of the country’s Independence Day Aug. 24, a campaign has been launched to spread the message, spend with Ukraine to stand with Ukraine.

Dasha Andriushchenko, who was an editor on the award-winning 2022 Adweek special issue, ‘On Ukraine, by Ukrainians,’ works with the organization and heads up new business development at design agency O0 in Kyiv. Adweek spoke with Andrey Klen, co-founder of O0 and of the Spend with Ukraine platform, about its mission.

Adweek: What is the background and what do you aim to achieve?

Andrey Klen: Spend with Ukraine is a non-profit platform that started on April 6, 2022, right after the full-scale Russian invasion into Ukraine. It has a very clear mission—to promote Ukrainian-rooted products and services worldwide. Purchasing these goods is the easiest way to back the Ukrainian creative economy, and the people who build them.

AW: Which companies does it already work with, and what work is it doing with those?

AK: It is a meticulously curated list of 240+ Ukrainian businesses grouped in nine categories: gadgets, fashion, productivity, education, creativity, lifestyle, home & accessories, services, and agencies. We pay close attention to the quality, global shipping/availability, and reputation of the showcased companies.

AW: Is “Spend with Ukraine to Stand with Ukraine” part of that evolution, or has that been used from the beginning?

AK: We’ve used it as a slogan from the beginning because we know that economies eventually win wars. Basically, we are streamlining donations for the people, who want to show support but are not comfortable with sponsoring war-related expenses. Adding more capital to the Ukrainian economy is vital now.

AW: Why is it so vital a message?

AK: The war is far from over, but people have the habit of pushing the negativity away. Our minds are wired like that. So we attract global attention with positive things, and numerous fruitful accomplishments of Ukrainian entrepreneurs. Also buying cool stuff isn’t that hard; it is straight-up pleasant. And we have plenty of world-class things to offer with ‘Made in Ukraine’ written all over them.

AW: How are you promoting the message around the world, and how do you aim to evolve that during Independence Day?

AK: It’s business as usual for us on this beautiful occasion. Frankly, we’ll use any angle to get more eyes on SWU, on Ukraine, on our people.

AW: Who is involved in developing and producing the campaign so far?

AK: O0 formed a task force to produce and support SWU. It’s a design studio out of Ukraine that mostly helps tech companies build beautiful products. There’s a similar kind of vibe. O0 is promoting Ukrainian design talent, proving over and over that we can build and brand global impactful products here in Ukraine.

AW: What is next?

AK: We want to get on the first page of the search when people google Ukraine. We want people to know that Ukraine is not a war-torn country but a powerhouse of advanced tech, creative talent and best-crafted products.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.