How Ilia Anufrienko’s Ukrainian agency is merging advocacy and creativity

In January, when the Ukrainian government was in desperate need of more battle tanks to help fight the Russian invasion, Ukrainian ad exec Ilia Anufrienko, 32, decided to get involved. He and his three-year-old agency Bickerstaff.111, which is based in Kyiv, started a flash mob called #FreeTheLeopards, urging the German government to provide Ukraine with Leopard 2 battle tanks. Participants shared posts on social media with the hashtag #FreeTheLeopards, along with pictures of people wearing leopard print clothing or other leopard-themed images. See all of Ad Age’s 40 Under 40 honorees here The hashtag was used in more than 13,1000 posts and was viewed by 4.5 million users; a video created for the Ministry of International Affairs reached 3.5 million views, leading even worldwide influencers and government organizations to join the cause. “I never thought I’d be able to tell my kids one day that their dad played a small role in helping secure tanks for our country during the war. But now I can,” wrote Anufrienko in an email, adding that his requests for Leopard 2 tanks were initially denied prior to the campaign launch. But after just a few days, the German government agreed to provide Ukraine with the battle tanks, “which were crucial for protecting our people from the Russian invasion,” the creative director added. In addition to being creative director at the agency, which started off as Bickerstaff.111 and adds numbers to its name daily, Anufrienko finds time to teach at creative institutions Projector and Skvot. If you could have dinner with one person, alive or dead, who would it be and why? Giordano Bruno, the Italians have good taste. What are the top two social media sites you use on a regular basis? [Between] the agency’s Slack and hanging out with my three kids, I’ve got my networking fix covered. Can’t say I'm a regular on any other platforms. What’s currently on your bedside reading list? Right now, I’m diving into my grandfather’s book on the myths and legends surrounding the formation of Ukraine. It’s taking some time, but I’m getting it digitized step by step. I recently went through his archives and discovered what I believe to be a true treasure—a monumental historical work of his artistic interpretation of events that influenced the development of the Ukrainian nation. What was the last show you binge-watched? “How the Universe Works” [which aired from 2010 to 2019]. Discovering how the universe is structured has been truly fascinating. After the launch of the Euclid telescope a couple of months ago, I felt compelled to take another look. At what age do you hope to retire? I don't think this will ever happen. See all of Ad Age’s 40 Under 40 honorees here

How Ilia Anufrienko’s Ukrainian agency is merging advocacy and creativity

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