Ukrnafta case study: digital transformation and the Fuel of Independence campaign

UKRNAFTA FUEL OF INDEPENDENCE: covering kilometers by uniting hearts

Branding & Identity

Digital Strategy & Promo

Web Design & Development

In the business world, stability is often perceived as the key to success. Companies that have been leading the market for years gradually become a kind of “mastodon” - recognizable, reputable and with a large flow of customers.

However, this status often becomes a trap. Instead of observing market changes and adapting to new trends, they continue to work in the old way, ignoring changing consumer behaviour, new technologies and approaches to communication.
As a result, their competitiveness is gradually weakening, and customers are starting to choose more flexible, creative and innovative brands.

UKRNAFTA, one of the oldest gas station chains in Ukraine and the leader in terms of the number of gas stations (537), could have suffered the same fate.

After many years of stagnation and no significant changes, the new marketing team of the filling station chain initiated a global rebranding. They updated the visual style, emphasized modern aesthetic trends, and rebuilt the communication strategy to engage the audience. It seemed to be a step in the right direction. But it was not enough to win over the new audience.

So the next step was to create and integrate modern services for effective communication with customers. One of them was the NaftoGO contactless refuelling service. It was a chatbot based on Telegram & Viber messengers that did not require downloading a separate application.

Despite the convenience of the solution, only 37 customers registered with it during the 11 months of test operation.

A bad idea or ineffective communication?

The gas station chain decided not to abandon the chatbot and engaged us as experts to create a mechanism for engaging the audience.

Objective

To demonstrate the main advantage - the scale of the filling station network.
Attract new users to the NaftaGO service.

Idea

We decided to create an activation that would combine innovation, social relevance and commercial benefit, while ensuring a viral effect. We timed it all to coincide with the 30th anniversary of Ukraine's independence.

This is how the Fuel of Independence project was born.

The problem

Work schedules, family responsibilities, household chores, and general workload are gradually pushing warm meetings with friends and family out of our lives. What used to be commonplace - spontaneous visits or evenings in the company of loved ones - is now turning into a rare event.
Distance is an obstacle to meetings. But what can turn an obstacle into an opportunity? Of course, fuel.

On the Independence Day of Ukraine, we decided to create a reason to meet friends and greet each other live, without the excuse of “long/distance travel”.

Solution

We created a website that allowed users to invite their friends and family to their homes. It was an interactive platform that used GPS to determine the location of each friend and the distance between them. In this way, litres of fuel were accrued - 1 litre per 10 km of travel.

How does it work?

To receive the litres donated by a friend, the user had to register with the NaftaGO service and make the first purchase of litres of fuel.
They received promotional litres to their fuel wallet, which they could use at the next refuelling.
An interactive map on the website showed road segments that connected friends. The more participants there were, the more national colours the map was coloured, showing the scale and coverage of the project.

Results

The first hours of the advertising campaign caused distrust and accusations of fraud. It was hard to believe that a brand was willing to give away fuel to bring Ukrainians closer.
But by the end of the day, the activity on the website began to grow rapidly. Users shared the link to the site, invited friends and created a viral effect.
During the 10 days of activation, we united 7355 Ukrainians using only one advertising channel - Facebook, as well as eternal and strong values - friendship and sociability.