Wartime transformation of advertising discourse in Ukraine: a cultural perspective on civilian soft power

This study develops a cultural account of civilian soft power by examining how Ukrainian advertising transformed into a system of meanings, symbols, and practices under wartime conditions. Using a seven-dimensional codebook spanning discourse, multimodal design, and archetypal narrative, we analyse a longitudinal corpus of ninety nationally salient TV and YouTube commercials (2009–2025). Following Russia’s 2022 invasion, a coherent mobilization code emerges: collectivist pronouns, “protect” and “win” stimulus verbs, blue – yellow palettes, the trident (tryzub), and recast soldier-hero and volunteer-caregiver archetypes. This repertoire turns routine viewing, purchasing, donating, and sharing into voluntary civic contributions, regulates collective affect under strain, affirms an inclusive national identity, and communicates moral claims to foreign publics. Theoretically, the findings position commercial advertising within a civilian soft-power grid operating through strategic narratives, extending cultural and critical-discourse perspectives from episodic contestation to system-wide realignment, and linking chromatic choices to ideological signalling and archetypal branding in wartime. Practically, the analysis shows how brands preserve equity when direct selling is constrained, how NGOs leverage commercial inventory for fundraising, and where ethical risks arise when advertising doubles as revenue and morale infrastructure. The framework offers transferable guidance for analysing commercial discourse in other protracted conflicts grounded in Ukraine’s historical context.