UK comms organized communications support for Nova Post’s Varti Award: how large-scale campaign was brought to life
- Developing this year’s concept;
- Creating an award website aligned with the concept — including messaging and visual identity;
- Producing a promotional video;
- Organizing the winner selection process: nominations, voting, vote counting;
- Providing full communications support: writing content, working with media, social media, winners, and opinion leaders;
- Coordinating the award ceremony for 33 winners across 13 regions of Ukraine: selecting award presenters and organizing video shoots.
Implementation
This was a "with-a-star" level task — time was tight, and processes required 120% engagement.
Since the Varti Award is an annual event, the core idea remained — to thank volunteers and present them with awards. But we needed to add new meaning to the campaign. Building on the general idea, our team developed a refreshed concept and this year’s slogan: “Varti. Keep Moving Forward.”
The idea of this year’s campaign reflects relentless movement — of volunteers, Nova Post’s trucks, and of all Ukraine — toward victory. Despite more than ten years of fatigue, people still find strength to move on.
Initially, the client planned an offline awards ceremony in Kyiv. We prepared a concept where the theme of movement was reflected in every detail — a mini tunnel at the entrance, an interactive LED floor, signposts modeled after road signs, etc.
However, for internal reasons, the client decided to cancel the offline event. Was it a challenge for us? Absolutely — time was already against us, and we’d grown fond of the concept.
Still, after just a few minutes of regrouping, we pivoted to generating ideas for an online campaign. How do you honor dozens of people in different parts of the country simultaneously and make each one feel seen and appreciated? A tough task, but we know our craft.
Deadlines were tight — the award recognized volunteer efforts from the previous year, so delays were not an option.
We adapted the concept to fit the online format, while preserving the core idea of moving forward.
We also retained the traditional symbols of the Varti Award — the yellow heart and blue ribbon, though we updated their look. The heart appeared on the website, in the video, on branded boxes, certificates, and winner bracelets. An animated blue ribbon ran through all video scenes, symbolizing the continuous motion of volunteerism.
Once the client approved the concept, we moved ahead.
This year, our team proposed a new two-stage selection process (instead of the single round used last year):
- 1First, Ukrainians nominated candidates on the website in 12 categories, submitting nearly 10,000 applications.
- 2We selected the most frequently mentioned nominees and created a shortlist — three finalists per category. These finalists moved to the voting stage.
- 3We tallied the votes and selected 12 winners. Nova Post also chose 21 organizational winners based on the volume and weight of aid they delivered.
All 33 winners were to be awarded simultaneously in different cities across Ukraine.
Website development
- First for nominations;
- Then for voting;
- Then for vote counting;
- And finally to announce the winners.
- collected info on all nominees and winners;
- wrote brief descriptions of their work;
- selected photos.
Video production
To support the campaign, UK comms partnered with AUROOM Films to produce an emotional video about the journey of Ukrainian volunteers.
AUROOM Films handled the creative and technical side — script, location scouting, casting, filming, and post-production. Video shooting took place in Kyiv and near Horenka, an area heavily shelled by Russian forces in 2022.
The story centers on a teenage girl who begins volunteering by helping stray animals. Over 10+ years of war, she grows up to lead a charitable foundation supplying tactical medicine to the front.
The protagonist’s personal and professional growth symbolizes the evolution of Ukrainian volunteerism — from ad-hoc help to systematic, long-term engagement.
The video also reflects a new generation for whom volunteering is a conscious choice.
- Tight timelines that tested the team;
- Finding two actresses who could believably portray the same character 10 years apart;
- Working with animals — a puppy and a grown dog representing the heroine’s pet required patience and precision on set.
But it all paid off — the final result tells a decade-long story of change, compassion, and commitment.
- selected bloggers whose values and tone matched the project;
- engaged 15 influencers: Vasyl Baidak, Anton Tymoshenko, Vitalii Hordiienko, music group “Kurgan & Agregat”, Svitlana Tarabarova, and others;
- briefed all participants, ensured content quality, and handled revisions;
- wrote posts and stories for Nova Post’s pages;
- created post templates for winners to share their recognition.
This year’s Varti Award retained its original design — a 3D composition of four metal plates engraved with the winner’s name, category, and messages of gratitude.
We updated the inscriptions to include thanks from military personnel, medics, civilians, and even children. A special touch — a paw print from Almaz, a bomb-sniffing dog, was added to the design.
Our team designed the packaging, thank-you cards, and bracelets. We also handled all logistics: liaising with printers, managing deliveries, and sprinting between Nova Post branches with the awards. Everything was executed promptly and smoothly.
The awards were presented nearly simultaneously to 33 winners across 13 regions of Ukraine.
To do this, we launched a full-fledged search mission — finding people who could meaningfully present the awards. We involved 15 presenters, including soldiers, volunteers, journalists, musicians, and beneficiaries of the winning organizations.
In Kyiv, the group Kurgan & Agregat (Amil and Ramil Nasirov) awarded the winners. It was a full-day effort — changing locations, presenting awards, taking photos, and capturing emotional moments.
- Where and when to pick up the award;
- Who and when to present it to;
- When and where to meet the camera crew, photographer, or local TV;
- What to say and how to thank the recipient.
We coordinated five film crews in Kyiv and additional photographers and videographers in 13 other cities.
We told the stories of the winners — those who exemplify the spirit of volunteerism. We recorded interviews with people helping children with disabilities, supporting soldiers and civilians, and rescuing animals.
These stories became the basis of five longreads pitched to national and regional outlets. Additionally, we prepared 25 news pieces c
- 36 mentions in national outlets;
- 80 mentions in regional outlets, with tailored content for local relevance;
- 6 TV segments on national and regional channels;
- A live segment on the national TV marathon.
UK comms handled every step — media coordination, story pitching, tone control, and message alignment.
Results
33 winners from 13 regions received the Varti Award from Nova Post.
It became a milestone not only for the recipients but also for the presenters — Nova Post employees, clients, and partners. The feedback was overwhelmingly warm — many volunteers said the recognition was unexpected but deeply meaningful.
- ~10,000 nominations
- 55,000 votes cast
- 1,092 posts mentioning the award
- 67,253 engagements
- 21,913,198 potential reach
Media:
- 141 articles in national and regional media
- 10 television segments
Total potential campaign reach: 32 millionохоплення кампанії — 32 мільйони.
Ukrainians actively took part: nominating heroes, voting, sharing posts, tagging volunteers in stories, and writing messages of gratitude.
The client was pleased with the collaboration and shared positive feedback.
The UK comms team successfully delivered a large-scale project and became part of something bigger — honoring volunteers.
“We deliberately opted out of a big event and chose to award volunteers where they spend most of their time — in hubs, offices, warehouses, and on the road. It was important for us that the moment of gratitude be genuine and appropriate. No stage, but with deep respect. This was about people who don’t seek recognition but truly deserve it. And judging by their emotions and words — we succeeded,” said Olena Plakhova, Director of Reputation Management at Nova Post.
“This project was a challenge for us. We felt doubly responsible — to the client and to the volunteers whose daily work saves lives and changes the country. We wanted not just to deliver a quality campaign, but to convey sincere appreciation and respect. It’s about trust — and honoring it,” said Uliana Kolodii, CEO of UK comms.
“This case wasn’t just about communications — it was a challenge of a different scale. A large part of the work was logistical: selecting finalists and winners, coordinating awards and filming. The award schedule felt like mission control — syncing everyone across the country. In Kyiv, we accompanied presenters and media; in the regions, we coordinated remotely. But it all worked out — all 33 winners received their awards and felt genuinely appreciated,” said Maria Zhubreva, Project Manager of UK comms.
If you have a strong idea and need help bringing it to life — we’re here for you. Let’s create something meaningful together!
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