Nostra Communications Group cases
Cases- all cases 17
- strategy and implementation 9
- FMCG 4
- digital 8
- financial sector 4
- media planning and purchasing 4
3 Dorogozhytska Street, UNIT City,
Office B10, Kyiv, Ukraine 04112
Your request has been successfully submitted.
We will contact you shortly.
Products with high levels of added sugar traditionally dominated the ketchup market. Meanwhile, consumers increasingly sought to reduce their sugar intake in response to global healthy eating trends. Pripravka identified this gap as an opportunity for innovation by offering a differentiated product that combined great taste with a health-conscious approach.
Objectives
Pripravka responded to this demand by researching consumer needs. Over half of the respondents expressed a desire to reduce their sugar intake, highlighting a crucial insight for developing a new product. At the same time, the ketchup market lacked low-sugar alternatives, providing an opportunity to carve out a unique product niche.
Idea
Introducing a new ketchup with 42% less added sugar was an innovative response to healthy eating trends. Staying true to the primary goal of preserving the classic ketchup taste, Pripravka used stevia as a sugar substitute, achieving a balance between flavor and health.
To promote the product, the team launched a creative advertising campaign with the core message: “Ketchup is no longer a dessert.” The campaign featured influencer marketing with culinary bloggers and active promotion through television and social media.
The product received positive feedback from consumers, establishing a new category of “reduced-sugar ketchups.” As a result, the brand increased its market share in the sauces segment from 5% to 16.6% in gross profit. Additionally:
Pripravka demonstrated how an innovative approach to product development can not only meet market needs but also create a new category with success in a competitive market.
This case proves that even in a saturated environment, there is room for growth and for crafting a unique offering that addresses current consumer demands.
The security systems market traditionally relies on fear and intimidation, which influences advertising strategies. Ajax had an ambitious goal—not only to become a recognizable brand in the security category but also to shift the perception of this category, emphasizing security guarantees and modernity. A key task was to overcome the “Facebook bubble” barrier and build brand awareness among the mass audience nationwide.
Moreover, the client expected not just a successful campaign but also the implementation of tools to optimize marketing investments and improve business processes.
The key insight was understanding the consumer’s need for security without imposing fear. To establish a clear link between “security system = Ajax,” an ad was created that showcased different life situations where the system provides peace and confidence.
To achieve maximum effectiveness, the creative was tested using NeuroKnowledge. This tool allowed for evaluating audience perception of the ad, adapting visual decisions and composition to maintain viewer attention and deliver key messages.
The media mix included a 360-degree approach, focusing on:
Brand Awareness: Ajax became firmly established in the mass audience’s mind as a leading brand in the security field, overcoming the narrow reach of the “Facebook bubble.”
Business Process Optimization:
The success of the Ajax campaign was based on a well-chosen communication idea that focused on positivity and security guarantees. The effective media mix, use of modern analytics tools, and implementation of innovative management models enabled the achievement of strategic goals and ensured the continued development of the brand.
At the beginning of 2022, “Sabrise,” one of Ukraine’s leading pest control manufacturers, faced significant challenges due to Russia’s full-scale invasion. The company severed all ties with the aggressor state, including the popular “RAPTOR” brand, which had been a market leader in mosquito repellents. The overall market experienced a decline, especially the flying insecticide category, where “RAPTOR” held a 26% market share before the invasion.
The economic downturn, population migration, and the emergence of new low-cost competitors jeopardized the brand’s survival. The primary challenge was maintaining consumer loyalty to “RAPTOR” while simultaneously creating a new brand, “IREX,” without losing market share.
In 2022, the sales of the category fell by 51%, and the active audience decreased by 20-25%. It was essential to balance preserving the popularity of “RAPTOR” while transitioning to the new brand under the conditions of economic crisis.
IREX represents the “predator of the new generation with a steel character,” combining the familiar Raptor dinosaur with new characteristics reflecting modern values such as technological advancement and environmental consciousness. The target audience comprises young individuals aged 25-45 who actively use digital technologies and prefer focusing on important tasks rather than dealing with insects.
The brand employs video ads with the slogan “Eliminate mosquitoes, not plans,” showcasing IREX decisively defeating pests. The 2023 strategy focused on digital campaigns in social media, and in 2024, communication tools were optimized for greater effectiveness.
IREX embodies determination and innovation, actively engaging the youth in combating pests while maintaining ties with the previous brand.
2023: The launch of the new IREX brand exceeded planned market share (SOM) metrics by 60%. Communication campaigns reached 87% of the target audience, indicating the brand’s successful adaptation to new conditions.
2024: IREX solidified its position as a leader with a 42% SOM, and brand awareness increased from 0% to 30%, marking a significant achievement in just two seasons.
During the crisis, PUMB sought to support small business owners by simplifying banking operations and attracting new customers. The bank became the first in Ukraine to offer 100% remote account opening for businesses — with online document verification, without visiting branches and without additional contacts with managers. This was important because entrepreneurs needed simple and quick solutions for conducting business in conditions of uncertainty.
The campaign, with a focus on reach and conversion, included the launch of a YouTube video aimed at raising awareness of the new service and encouraging deeper views of the main video. To measure effectiveness, the YouTube Brand Lift study was conducted, which evaluated the memorability of advertisements. During the campaign, there were regular optimizations and testing of placement strategies in performance tools to maximize quality conversions.
The campaign reached 75% of the target audience with an effective frequency, and the video completion rate (VTR) was 45%. The conversion plan was exceeded by 24%. Brand ad recall increased by 12% according to YouTube Brand Lift research, and spontaneous awareness of the PUMB brand among small business owners increased by 78% year-over-year.
Apple aimed to emphasize the key role of the MacBook in creative processes, particularly in music production. The main challenge was to establish a connection between the MacBook and modern music, targeting a young audience interested in electronic music.
Insights:
Idea:
Іn partnership with KISS FM, launch a content series called “The Story of One Track” showcasing how the MacBook helps in music creation. The project included stories from DJs Lutique and Mr. Sunny, who demonstrated the process of creating tracks using the MacBook. The campaign covered radio announcements, website publications, video content, and social media posts.
Radio Announcements on KISS FM:
Digital:
The project highlighted the versatility of the MacBook as a creative tool, expanding its usage scenarios in this market, which earned audience trust and created added value for the brand.
Against the backdrop of the instability and volatility of the economic situation in Ukraine at the end of 2022, the preservation of financial assets became critically important, especially in war-torn regions. Only 17% of the population chose traditional deposit mechanisms to protect their funds. PUMB decided to accept this challenge by increasing its deposit portfolio in the context of economic crisis and uncertainty.
In response to the situation, PUMB developed two deposit programs: “Steel” and “Calm”, which were aimed at two different market segments – experienced users and beginners, respectively.
The digital campaign was carefully tailored to the needs of each audience segment and was conducted consistently, with a focus on individual goals for each product. PUMB used platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Programmatic, with an emphasis on precise targeting and optimization of approaches, including the use of TrueView for Action to achieve maximum effectiveness.
The campaign demonstrated the effectiveness of the digital approach:
The Ukrainian sauce market had not seen a product that combined the functions of a marinade and a base for cooking meals. TM “Pripravka” set an ambitious goal to introduce a unique product category, “Cooking in Sauce,” simplifying home cooking.
Key Challenges:
Goals:
Insight – modern consumers want to save time on cooking while still enjoying delicious and “homemade” results. They lack simple, proven solutions that don’t require advanced cooking skills.
Strategic Idea – develop a campaign to position the new product as a culinary assistant:
Communication Channels:
Sabrise, a well-known expert in shoe care cosmetics, decided to sever all ties with the Russian brand Salton after the start of a full-scale war in 2022 and start developing its own brands. In July 2023, a new brand WALKIN appeared on the market, among the first products of which was Walkin Active Foam for white shoes – completely Ukrainian production. However, the white shoe season was coming to an end, and the brand strategy had not yet been fully developed. At this critical moment, with a limited budget, it was necessary to increase sales for further business development.
To achieve this goal, we decided to take advantage of the popularity of Street style culture, which is gaining momentum in modern cities. Despite the war, Ukrainians continue to express themselves through fashionable looks, where white shoes have become an integral part of the wardrobe. We decided to address the target audience of fashionistas through one influencer who would embody the company’s values and be a native user of the product. For this role, we chose Ramina Eshakzai, a Ukrainian photo and TV model, blogger and host of the YouTube channel “RAMINA”. We gave her a set of Walkin products and asked her to share an honest review with her audience on Instagram.
The results exceeded all expectations: in less than 6 hours, a three-month supply of the product from the marketplace was sold out. We received about 120 thousand unique reaches and over 7.3 thousand interactions with the content (likes, shares, comments, saves, transitions to the brand page). The number of subscriptions to the @sabrise.ukraine page increased significantly, and sales increased 9 times within a week after the integration. This success ensured further growth of the brand and inspired us for the upcoming full-fledged launch of WALKIN.
WALKIN — A confident step starts with clean shoes!
In the context of the full-scale war in Ukraine, there was an urgent need to mobilize the global community to support the country and counter Russian aggression. The campaign’s main objectives were to:
The key challenge lay in scaling the initiative and engaging as many participants as possible from different countries.
The #WorldForUkraine initiative served as a platform to reflect the global resistance to Russian aggression. At its core was an interactive map that displayed real-time global support for Ukraine through rallies, flash mobs, and protests.
The campaign focused on three key directions:
The campaign achieved significant outcomes through a comprehensive approach:
Reach:
Engagement:
Audience Involvement:
Additionally, the campaign led to a 25% increase in rally registrations during its active phase, with continued growth in indirect registrations after its conclusion.
Impact
The #WorldForUkraine campaign became a powerful tool to draw global attention to the war in Ukraine. It united millions, visibly highlighted the scale of support, and fostered increased activity in protest movements.
Through the interactivity of the platform, emotional content, and an effective media mix, the campaign delivered both immediate and lasting results, strengthening global solidarity with Ukraine.
The campaign aimed to remind Ukrainians about the world’s best-selling whiskey during the traditional holiday season, as well as to boost sales of Johnnie Walker products across online and offline channels. The primary objective was to achieve maximum visibility among the target audience using premium platforms and effective communication formats.
Insights:
Idea:
The campaign included extensive ad placements on top platforms featuring premium content, using various formats:
Reach: The campaign reached 89% of the target audience, exceeding the planned figure by 10%, with a total reach of 3.2 million users.
Ad Contacts – 35.8 million Views:
Effectiveness: The average VTR of the campaign was 76%.
Campaign quality was validated by DoubleVerify:
Brand Suitability: 99%
Authentic Impression: 89%
The campaign during the key New Year season captured consumers’ attention, significantly increased brand awareness, boosted sales, and strengthened Johnnie Walker’s image as a premium choice.
In the context of the war in Ukraine, security has become a key concern for citizens. Among the primary risks are personal data protection, as many people face the threat of information loss due to mass migration, cyberattacks, and fraudulent activities. At the same time, users have become more aware of the importance of securing their devices, though they have a low level of awareness regarding protection features, such as those available on iPhones. The main challenge was conveying the advantages of privacy and digital security, tailored to the crisis context.
Insights:
Understanding the challenges of digital security in the context of war became the foundation for creating a comprehensive communication campaign. Its key elements included:
The campaign achieved significant reach and audience engagement by combining educational objectives with an effective communication strategy:
The campaign not only increased awareness of digital security among Ukrainians but also built trust in the iPhone as a reliable tool for data protection. Influencers acted as an organic bridge between the brand and the audience, showcasing real experiences with the security features.
This case demonstrated how the combination of educational and communication tools can effectively address current challenges, even in crisis conditions. The campaign created a strong emotional connection between the brand and the audience, ensuring not only recognition but also a real impact on user behavior. Thanks to the comprehensive approach, the campaign achieved sustainable success and laid the foundation for future initiatives.
In early 2021, in the face of high competition and the difficult post-COVID situation for small businesses, PUMB decided to improve its Small Business Support Program for legal entities. The main goal was to communicate with entrepreneurs in such a way that they would see PUMB as a reliable partner, feel support and understanding of their needs. It was important to create an emotional connection with the target audience, overcoming the barriers of abstract business communication.
Instead of communicating with businesses as abstract business structures, we decided to communicate with entrepreneurs as living people, for whom business is a matter of the heart. This concept led to the creation of the idea “For the smile of small business”, where a sincere human emotion — a smile — became the central theme of the campaign. The campaign emphasized simplicity, accessibility and humanity in interaction with the bank, as well as the support that PUMB provides to small businesses through innovative services and products.
To achieve this goal, we offered:
These services were presented as simple, effective, fast and focused on bringing a smile to entrepreneurs.
The campaign “For the Smile of Small Business” effectively positioned PUMB’s client as a bank that not only provides financial services, but also understands the real needs of entrepreneurs, supports them in the most difficult times and helps them achieve success.
The meat products market is highly competitive, both among brands and in capturing consumer attention. For TM “Globino,” it was crucial not only to maintain an already high level of brand recognition but also to strengthen trust in the brand. The main task was to find a way to stand out in the market and effectively launch a new product – “Mortadelky” sausages.
The core insight of the campaign: in today’s fast-paced world, people often eat on the go and need quick, nutritious, yet tasty solutions.
The idea was to position “Mortadelky” as “meat batteries” that provide “meat-power” – energy to combat fatigue and routine.
In creative video ads, characters from different walks of life – office workers and construction workers – experience an energy boost when enjoying the sausages, while their colleagues without them “run out of power.” The videos successfully combined humor with everyday situations, making the message clear and appealing to the target audience.
Implementation:
Creative Concept: “Mortadelky” sausages are not just food but “meat batteries” that recharge energy.
Production: Two video ads were developed with the professional team from Starlight Brand Content.
Media Strategy: A synergy of TV and digital channels ensured maximum reach. The campaign began on STB, Novy, and ICTV TV channels and was later supplemented by digital activities.
TV Campaign: Over 80% of the target audience reached (frequency 1+), with 130 million contacts.
Digital Campaign: 13.5 million contacts and approximately 6 million 100% video views.
Overall Reach: More than 88% of the target audience.
Sales: Sales of “Mortadelky” sausages almost doubled compared to the same period in 2018.
The effective collaboration of the client, partners, and teams from NCG Nostra Media, NCG DIEVO, and Starlight Brand Content transformed an ordinary product into a unique offering for consumers. Thanks to successful communication, this product not only stood out in the market but also confidently entered consumer shopping baskets.
Against the backdrop of the war with Russia, economic instability, and declining confidence in commercial banks, PUMB had to retain existing customers and attract new ones. Customer deposits made before the war began to flow out in November 2022, which put the bank at risk of losing up to 5 billion hryvnas. In October 2022, the bank launched a new deposit product “Steel”, which needed rapid market promotion.
The creative campaign combined steel symbolism with Ukrainian resilience, emphasizing the reliability of the new “Steel” deposit. The campaign used the visual image of steel and associated the new deposit with the strength and reliability of this material. For a quick launch with a minimal budget, affordable PUMB video materials and simple graphics were used. The main emphasis was on digital channels, which became a priority in wartime conditions.
Despite the limited budget and difficult war conditions, the campaign exceeded all expectations. The click-through rate doubled, customer retention returned to pre-war levels (+28 points compared to the previous campaign), the number of new customers increased by 94%, and deposit volumes increased fivefold to 2.7 billion hryvnas per month. This allowed PUMB to ensure stability during wartime and improve its market position.
Bayadera Group decided to launch a new vodka brand with the provocative name “Vaccine.” Amidst the information noise surrounding vaccination, it was important to avoid false associations with pharmacology or COVID-19, while maintaining the focus on the product’s festive atmosphere. The main goal was to make the brand recognizable, achieve significant reach among the target audience, and ensure high-quality engagement with users.
A special challenge of the campaign was complying with advertising content moderation rules on platforms like Google and YouTube. This required a delicate approach to message formulation and visual content creation. Additionally, the product was released in two versions—”Vaccine No.1″ and “Vaccine No.2″—and the campaign needed to be clear and appealing to consumers with diverse preferences.
The key insight of the campaign was the understanding of the heightened interest in news-related topics and the need for a light, humorous approach to serious matters.
To draw attention to the product, a concept of humorous presentation was chosen, resembling a news format. This allowed for a positive emotional delivery while avoiding controversial associations. Within this concept, the team developed the slogan “Toasting has begun,” which struck the perfect balance between the provocative brand name and its festive atmosphere.
The media strategy included combining various digital formats for maximum effectiveness. Specifically, the campaign was executed through YouTube Pre-roll, Programmatic DV360, social media on Facebook and Instagram, and an unconventional advertising format—Floor Ad. This approach not only optimized costs but also generated high audience engagement.
The campaign lasted just over a month but exceeded all expectations.
Sales: The annual target was surpassed by 350%.
Reach: The product was viewed 37.1 million times, 36% higher than planned.
Video Views: Increased by 51% over the planned figures.
Clicks: Achieved 229,110 clicks, 154% higher than the planned figures.
Brand Lift: After the campaign launch, product awareness grew from 2.25% to 7.26%, and the number of potential buyers increased by 6 points (to 9.41%).
High performance was recorded on platforms such as YouTube and Facebook, where click-through rates and views significantly exceeded expectations. Notably, the Floor Ad format delivered record results—with clicks surpassing the plan by 627% due to a high CTR.
Conditions for Success: A carefully selected creative solution—mockumentary, a delicate humorous approach, and effective work with advertising tools and legal aspects for a sensitive category.
In 2019, “Hromadske” faced challenges in building trust and increasing recognition among a new audience. Ukrainians had forgotten the important role of the media, which emerged during the Euromaidan and became a symbol of independent journalism. There was a need to draw attention to the brand and remind people of its significance.
To regain attention and shape the correct perception of the media, it was essential to convey the key messages of “Hromadske”: it is a media platform for everyone, delivering important news and shaped by every citizen. The campaign needed to be relevant and accessible to various audience groups in the digital space.
To achieve this goal, a creative concept was developed: “Your hromadske media/vision/consciousness,” highlighting the importance of every voice, every perspective, and every citizen for the media. The visual communication included dynamic elements symbolizing the inclusion of all people in the process of forming “Hromadske.” To emphasize the media’s mission, the slogan used “hromadske” in place of “public” and “citizen,” demonstrating its integral role in shaping civic consciousness.
The campaign reached over 3.4 million unique users, covering 49% of the target audience.
The video garnered more than 2.1 million full views on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.
The campaign contributed to increasing brand awareness and attracting a new audience to “Hromadske” platforms.
The campaign’s evaluation by the jury of the International Festival confirmed the correctness of the approach and the clarity of the idea.
The campaign not only restored “Hromadske” recognition but also strengthened its position as a reliable and independent media outlet, drawing attention to important news for citizens.
77% of Ukrainians were unaware of the European Union’s support in driving changes aimed at improving life in Ukraine. The campaign’s main objectives were:
The campaign was built around the concept of “The EU – Together for Change,” with a focus on:
Project Phases
The campaign reached a broad audience by leveraging an integrated media mix:
The campaign ran for 1.5 years, maintaining a consistent communication flow and establishing a sustainable positive image of the EU among Ukrainians.
Impact
The “Together for Change” campaign became an effective tool for building trust in the European Union as Ukraine’s partner. Through consistency, integrated media solutions, and the use of real-life stories, it successfully increased awareness of EU support and created a lasting emotional connection.
The project laid a strong foundation for future initiatives and reinforced the EU’s image as a driving force for positive change in Ukraine.