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Nearly a third of respondents mostly ignore advertising, digital media have become the main channels through which consumers encounter ads, and audiences expect useful information, clarity, and a friendly tone from brand messages. Gradus explored how Ukrainians’ perception of advertising has changed amid the prolonged war, power outages, and information overload.

Where advertising “catches up” with Ukrainians during the war

The full-scale war has significantly reshaped Ukrainians’ media consumption and, consequently, their contact points with advertising. According to Gradus research, users most often notice advertising messages in messengers and social media, where nearly half of respondents encounter them (48%). By comparison, offline touchpoints — stores, transport, and outdoor advertising — lag behind considerably.

This environment has remained relatively resilient even during power outages. Mobile internet and short content formats allow brands to maintain contact with audiences when access to traditional media is limited.

Television also remains an important channel, though digital formats are steadily closing the gap. The study shows that digital TV is catching up with traditional television in terms of advertising exposure frequency. Digital TV is primarily the choice of audiences under 44, while traditional television retains stronger positions among people aged 55–60. This indicates an ongoing transition of audiences toward the digital environment, with some inertia remaining among older age groups.

What actually captures attention in advertising

Despite changes in the information environment, the main trigger of attention remains fairly pragmatic.

Discounts and promotional offers attract the most attention from Ukrainians. This is particularly true for younger audiences: 47% of young respondents say that promotional mechanics are the most effective way to capture their attention.

Older audiences respond somewhat differently to advertising signals. For them, a friendly and sincere brand communication style plays an important role — about a quarter of older respondents choose this approach as the most appealing.

These results show that in a prolonged crisis consumers simultaneously seek practical value and human warmth in brand communication.

What kind of advertising Ukrainians are willing to engage with

The study also reveals a shift toward short and interactive formats. The formats audiences respond to best include short videos, messages in messengers, and interactive formats that allow quick engagement.

These formats align with the logic of modern media consumption: information is absorbed quickly, often via smartphones, in short breaks between tasks or while commuting.

At the same time, residents of Kyiv demonstrate greater openness to various advertising formats, while audiences in other regions tend to gravitate toward more familiar communication formats.

When advertising becomes irritating

Despite general adaptation to advertising messages, part of the audience reacts more sensitively to them. In particular, 24% of young people note that advertising has recently seemed more aggressive or irritating. About a third of respondents (29%) say they mostly ignore advertising altogether.

This signals that brands need to pay closer attention to the tone of their communication. During wartime, people experience heightened emotional pressure, and intrusive or overly intense advertising messages may provoke negative reactions.

“The war has changed the context in which people perceive brand communication. Attention has become a much more valuable resource, while tolerance for aggressive advertising has declined. Ukrainians quickly filter out messages that do not offer practical value or sound unnatural. Advertising that brings tangible benefits works better — discounts, relevant offers, clear information. Another important factor is tone. People respond much more positively to brands that speak simply and honestly, without artificially idealizing reality,” comments Evgeniya Blyznyuk, sociologist, CEO and founder of the research company Gradus.

The survey was conducted by the research company Gradus using the self-administered questionnaire method in the Gradus mobile application. Target audience: men and women aged 18–60 living in Ukrainian cities with populations of more than 50,000, excluding temporarily occupied territories and active combat zones. Fieldwork period: February 13–16, 2026. Sample size: 1,000 respondents.