Moscow - Leading global creative agency Saatchi & Saatchi
Moscow will develop a series of advertising campaigns worth up to USD 200,00
for some of Russia’s most promising startups waiving all agency fees. In partnership with the Internet Initiatives
Development Fund (IIDF), the ‘Creative Startup project’ aims to aid the
development of internet entrepreneurship in Russia.
Startups were invited to enter the competition via the
IIDF website and have now been shortlisted.
The shortlist currently comprises of nine startups: Dve Ladoshki, BUBUKA, Dr. Tariff, Newswired,
Notissimus, SMDTP, SkiRacer, AppNow and eZWay.
The winner/s will be a joint decision by Saatchi & Saatchi and the
IIDF and is due to be announced later this month. Winners will be selected by examining the
entrants’ executive summaries and conducting interviews with each start
up. Saatchi & Saatchi and the IIDF
are looking for ideas that show originality of product or business idea, team
engagement and enthusiasm and finally, openness to innovative promotional
approaches. The agency will then develop
and implement an advertising campaign to launch and in some instances scale
selected new business projects within Russia.
“We think this project is a wonderful
way to demonstrate the power of creativity, and its potential to transform
Russia,” said Shannon Cullum, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi Russia. “Great ideas
are at the heart of these start-ups, and the key to any sustainable business
and new, more creative companies are at the heart of Russia’s sustainable
development. We look forward to partnering with these young entrepreneurs and
demonstrating the role our creativity can play in helping them launch and grow
their businesses.”
Stuart Robinson, ECD of Saatchi & Saatchi Russia
commented: “We’re in the business of
creating new ideas that build other businesses.
It’s where our passion lies. To
have the chance to do that with an enterprise from the ground up is doubly
exciting.”
Aleksander Izryadnov, communication director of IIDF
also added: “It’s not often that a
startup has the resources to engage and hire a leading creative team for their
launch. This rather unique initiative will allow them to do exactly that. Saatchi & Saatchi’s list of successes in
this market and abroad is certain to help assure success for these young
entrepreneurs.”
IIDF launches its first program in Moscow with several enrolments per
year with more programs scheduled across all of Russia. IIDF also supports
educational, legislation and infrastructural projects that help build a
transparent, full-fledged industry of small and medium online businesses in
Russia.
http://www.iidf.ru/
Photo: The Saatchi & Saatchi Moscow team with some of the shortlisted project participants.