what and who - won at Ad Black Sea?

The tenth anniversary edition of Ad Black Sea has come to an end. The winners have been announced, and we’re ready to take one final look at what - and who - really won this year.

But first, let’s look at some of the work that stood out to the jury.

“the light must stay on” - sinatle media x windfor’s tbilisi

Much like last year, this year’s festival featured a strong presence of socially driven campaigns responding directly to the realities of Georgian society. And it was one such project that became the jury’s biggest choice.

An idea that unfolded across multiple formats, both digital and physical.

An idea that brought creativity and social responsibility together.

An idea that made both the problem and its solution visible: free and independent media.

“The Light Must Stay On” became one of the festival’s biggest triumphs, taking home 4 Golds, 2 Silvers, 5 Bronzes and, most importantly, the Grand Prix for Good.

“marionella 18+” - marionella x legacy experience agency

Although underage marriage is fully prohibited by law in Georgia, the problem itself has not disappeared.

If so many products carry an 18+ label, why shouldn’t a wedding dress?

That simple but powerful insight became the foundation of “Marionella 18+.” The idea later grew beyond the original campaign, as other businesses joined the initiative and introduced 18+ labels of their own.

The campaign received 2 Golds, 2 Silvers, 1 Bronze, as well as the special Creative Effort in Gender Equality award.

Cindy Gallop, President of this year’s Impact Jury, noted during the awards ceremony that the issue extends far beyond Georgia - and that the work could serve as an important example for other markets facing the same reality.

“their dreams are childlike. their reality isn’t.” - iom – un migration mission in georgia x betterFly

Giving a child money on the street may feel like an act of kindness. But behind that seemingly generous gesture, there is often a much more troubling reality: child exploitation.

The short film Dreaming Past the Junkyard uses a dialogue between two children to reveal a deeply uncomfortable problem - one that we may unknowingly help sustain through our own actions.

At Ad Black Sea, the work received 2 Golds and 1 Bronze in the Film category.

“flags of victory” - todua clinic x holy motors

For Cancer Awareness Month, Todua Clinic and Holy Motors told the stories of women who had defeated one of life’s toughest opponents: cancer.

The headscarf - one of the most recognizable symbols associated with cancer treatment - was transformed into a flag of victory.

Beyond its emotional storytelling, the campaign served as a reminder that early diagnosis and appropriate treatment can be decisive in winning the fight against cancer.

The campaign received 1 Silver and 2 Bronzes, while Anastasia Bezhitashvili won Gold in the Young Creative category for the same project. Supported by TBC, the category has now been part of the competition for four years, creating a dedicated space for young creative professionals.

“love comes back. you just have to believe.” - tbc x playmakers

In 2025, emigrants sent nearly seven million remittances to Georgia.

That insight became the starting point for “Love Comes Back. You Just Have to Believe” - a campaign that shifted the role of the traditional holiday gift-giver from Santa Claus to Georgian emigrants.

As part of the campaign, and in collaboration with DHL, numerous packages were sent from Georgia to emigrants abroad - a symbolic gesture built around one simple message: love comes back.

The campaign received 1 Silver and 2 Bronzes, while its continuation, the poster series “Who Is Santa?”, won 1 Silver and 1 Bronze.

“sukhishvili” - bank of georgia x joyboy

Sukhishvili is more than a dance ensemble. As part of Georgia’s creative heritage, it has become one of the country’s most recognizable cultural symbols.

Its 80-year history and distinctive visual language were translated into different formats and layers of storytelling - from 80 Years of Triumph to the identity of the dance itself and Where the Dance Was Born.

Across the campaign, the work received 1 Gold, 1 Silver and 3 Bronzes.

what does it take to win? - setanta / rkena x advan production

We’ve already shared quite a lot about Rkena, a newly born brand. But the awards ceremony revealed something else: just how strongly its film - and this particular interpretation of Sachidao - connected with the audience.

Every time the film appeared on screen, the entire room joined in with the song.

That reaction perhaps says as much as an award can.

Advan Production ultimately received 1 Gold and 1 Silver for the Rkena film.

“small business chain” - bank of georgia x supermarket

Small Business Chain is a new Bank of Georgia initiative created to support small businesses throughout the summer.

Visitors to one participating business received a discount voucher for another. At the second location, they discovered an offer for a third - and so the chain continued.

What emerged was a network in which small businesses were not simply promoting themselves, but actively directing customers toward one another.

The initiative later expanded to Batumi, connecting dozens of businesses and turning promotion into a mechanism for mutual support.

For small businesses, the project became both an opportunity for visibility and a way to strengthen the wider ecosystem around them.

The campaign won Gold in Brand Experience & Activation - and we’ll be taking a closer look at the project soon.

“prescription: truth” - psp x playmakers

PSP has been going through a significant brand transformation in recent years.

Alongside traditional product communication, its campaigns have increasingly engaged with issues that matter to society. Across these different conversations, one idea has gradually emerged as the connecting thread: truth.

Whether the subject is gender equality, healthy tanning or freedom, PSP’s “prescription” remains the same: truth.

At this year’s Ad Black Sea, it was this long-term strategic direction that received the festival’s highest recognition: the Grand Prix and 2 Golds.

so, what actually won?

When we look at this year’s winners together, one pattern becomes difficult to ignore: many of the jury’s favorite ideas began not with an invented problem, but with a real one.

In a country where there are already plenty of challenges to confront, perhaps we don’t need to create new ones for advertising to solve.

What creativity can do - and what this year’s work demonstrated particularly well - is find new ways to make those realities visible, understandable and harder to ignore.

After the ceremony, we asked members of the jury the same question:

What won?

David Droga:

“Real, powerful ideas that fight against certain challenges.”

Catalin Dobre:

“Courage won. Courageous people, courageous clients.”

Mihnea Gheorghiu:

“If I had to say it in one word: resistance won.”

Supporting independent media. Underage marriage. Child exploitation. The fight against cancer. Emigration.

This year, these and other social realities became ideas, creative solutions and, in the strongest cases, invitations to act.

Local context won.

The idea - and the courage to stay true to it - won.

Creativity that serves society won.

And ultimately, light and truth won.

The kind of truth that can be seen.

The kind that cannot be silenced.

And the kind of light that cannot be switched off.

P.S. A huge thank you to the Ad Black Sea team for all the work behind the festival, and to its sponsors and partners for continuing to support the development of the creative industry - both locally and internationally.

And finally, a special thank you to TBC, with whom we have now covered Ad Black Sea for the second year in a row, sharing the ideas, signals and insights that are shaping the future of our industry.