Practice of Using Ukrainian Ornament in Ukrainian Brand Identity (On the Materials of 2025)

Abstract

Brand identity is a relevant and complex issue of communication that extends beyond purely visual design and functions as a language of culture (in the broadest sense of the term), capable of transmitting social, historical, and value-based meanings. The contemporary stage in the development of brand identity is characterised by a synthesis of cultural practices and digital technologies, the active use of AI-generated content, dynamic design systems, and the growing role of brands’ social responsibility in the public sphere. The article presents a comprehensive analysis of contemporary practices of using ornaments in the identity of Ukrainian brands, including within the context of war, cultural transformation, and global digitalisation. Particular attention is given to the role of national symbols and archetypal images as semiotic resources that create an emotional connection between the brand and its audience, mark cultural belonging, and perform a function of social consolidation. The study examines the mechanisms through which traditional ethnic motifs are reduced to modular, scalable, and adaptive elements of design systems suitable for use in digital environments, advertising, and media communications. Based on the analysis of case studies of Ukrainian brands, the article outlines the patterns of transformation of ornament from a decorative element into a meaningful carrier of cultural significance, combining tradition with innovation. The research demonstrates that in 2025 brand identity performs not only communicative and marketing functions but also cultural, emotional, and social ones, shaping narratives of resilience, unity, and the continuity of cultural memory. The article concludes that Ukrainian brand identity is developing according to a hybrid model, in which national visual codes become the foundation of contemporary communication practices and a tool for cultural representation in the global context, which is particularly important today for the fields of journalism, advertising, and public relations.