Roman Shahbalayev
reativity turns
ordinary moments into
ordinary moments into
righ
?
something a little nicer
Hello!
My name is Roman.
I’ve been working as a creative for independent agencies and major brands for over 5 years.
I’ve been working as a creative for independent agencies and major brands for over 5 years.
and major brands
ars.
ncies and major brands for ove
EXPERIENCE
HONORS
For the past 3 years, I’ve been working as a Creative Copywriter at SEED. Contributed to the agency reaching #2 in the Central & South Asia Creative Rankings and Golden Drum's Top 10 Independent Agencies.
Over the past 5 years, I’ve worked across almost every format in advertising — from articles and naming to TV commercials, YouTube shows, and 360 campaigns.
Some of the brands I’ve had the chance to create great projects for include: Yandex Search, Snickers, McDonald's, LG, Flash Up, Cheetos, Nivea, Aviata, Kino.kz, Krisha.kz, Kolesa.kz, Uklon Uz, Alex Saryagash, and Abay Theatre.
Over the past 5 years, I’ve worked across almost every format in advertising — from articles and naming to TV commercials, YouTube shows, and 360 campaigns.
Some of the brands I’ve had the chance to create great projects for include: Yandex Search, Snickers, McDonald's, LG, Flash Up, Cheetos, Nivea, Aviata, Kino.kz, Krisha.kz, Kolesa.kz, Uklon Uz, Alex Saryagash, and Abay Theatre.
x3 gold
bronze
silver
gold
x8 silver
x4 bronze
bronze
gold
x5 bronze
x4 gold
x5 silver
bronze
x2 silver
PHNX
KIAF
Young Lions
Red jolbors
White square
Spikes Asia
CLIO
x3 gold
bronze
gold
x5 bronze
x5 bronze
x4 gold
x5 silver
bronze
x5 silver
bronze
x2 silver
gold
x8 silver
x4 bronze
x8 silver
x4 bronze
bronze
silver
MY WORKS
MY WORKS
Krisha.kz
Circled & found
Background:
Krisha.kz — is the #1 website in Kazakhstan for buying, selling, and renting real estate-including new apartments, pre-owned homes, and commercial properties.
Krisha.kz — is the #1 website in Kazakhstan for buying, selling, and renting real estate-including new apartments, pre-owned homes, and commercial properties.
Problem:
The service is changing its monetization strategy, making some previously free features paid. Naturally, users aren't happy about it.
The service is changing its monetization strategy, making some previously free features paid. Naturally, users aren't happy about it.
Solution:
Shoot a few quick videos to remind people why our service is awesome and show off the free features, so more folks start using them and stick around.
Shoot a few quick videos to remind people why our service is awesome and show off the free features, so more folks start using them and stick around.
#2
#3
Yandex search
After the collapse of the USSR, thousands of streets in Kazakhstan were renamed after Kazakh cultural figures. Years passed. People know the addresses, but not the stories of the people behind those names.
Street signs became silent markers.
Street signs became silent markers.
We brought street names of life. We taught Yandex Search to recognize street signs, and using Al we recreated the voices of the people those streets were named after — so they could tell their own stories.
It all started with a simple observation: street signs in cities across Kazakhstan all look the same. We trained the Yandex Search smart camera to recognize these signs and instantly show information about the person the street is named after. Then, using archival recordings, we recreated the voices of six historical figures. With the help of artificial intelligence, we produced podcasts in which they tell their own life stories.
Background:
Idea:
Execution:
Case film
Board
So–so coach
YouTube show
Every year, Snickers spends a big budget on its Snickers Football campaign. For 2025, they needed a special project with influencers to b oo st their reach.
Background:
One of the episodes
Idea:
Results:
3D model of the location
A YouTube show where an eccentric coach teaches influencers how to play FIFA through crazy challenges. Anyone who loses their cool gets a Snickers instead of a yellow card—and whoever ends up with the most bars faces a final punishment.
1 513 000 views
2 733 000 media reach
Value sales ~ +25%
Volume sales ~ +6%
2 733 000 media reach
Value sales ~ +25%
Volume sales ~ +6%
Case
Aviata
Context:
Idea:
Aviata is a Kazakhstan-based service that sells airline tickets. Its main advantage is 24/7 customer support for every trip. One day, we found the very first comment on Aviata's Instagram. It was a message of two emojis supporting us. We hadn't responded to this comment for 10 years. This was a great opportunity to show our gratitude and remind everyone of the Aviata's main value.
We decided to respond with a trip, and presented the author of the lost comment with a journey to Sri Lanka so that she could leave those very emojis in places that inspire her – even on Adam's Peak, where legend has it the first man set foot. Thus, the forgotten comment turned into a symbol of discoveries and a reminder of Aviata's support.
Im
McDonalds rebranding
BUT wait, there’s more!
Problem:
Idea:
Uklon is a low-fare taxi service that recently entered Uzbekistan.
With fewer cars on the road, the average waiting time was 10 minutes longer than competitors. As a result, up to 14% of rides were cancelled during the wait.
With fewer cars on the road, the average waiting time was 10 minutes longer than competitors. As a result, up to 14% of rides were cancelled during the wait.
We turned our biggest weakness into an advantage.
We said that Uklon is a taxi for people who are not in a hurry.
And while waiting for their ride, they can enjoy small moments of life — and travel cheaper.
We said that Uklon is a taxi for people who are not in a hurry.
And while waiting for their ride, they can enjoy small moments of life — and travel cheaper.
Execution:
We explored cultural insights about how people in Tashkent usually kill time while waiting.
In a city where billboards try to deliver their message in just three seconds, we created outdoor ads filled with text - billboards that take a few minutes to read.
They suggested different ways to spend the extra waiting time.
Waiting for a taxi became part of the experience - not a frustrating moment.
In a city where billboards try to deliver their message in just three seconds, we created outdoor ads filled with text - billboards that take a few minutes to read.
They suggested different ways to spend the extra waiting time.
Waiting for a taxi became part of the experience - not a frustrating moment.
Uklon
The time killboards
After a successful first campaign, the client asked us to promote a "70% off your first ride" offer.
From then on, every 3–4 months we created fresh OOH and digital concepts for the same offer—on a tight budget.
Play while waiting for Uklon
Wave 1
******* ad
Wave 2
Find a discount on your first ride
We were banned from using the word ***, so we can't say we have a *** discount of up to 70% on your first ride.
lesa.kz
K
It all starts with the wheels
Kolesa.kz is the #1 brand for buying and selling vehicles in Kazakhstan.
However, people see it strictly as a used car platform.
The service offers several other categories that users are still largely unaware of.
However, people see it strictly as a used car platform.
The service offers several other categories that users are still largely unaware of..
Produce a series of video spots to showcase these categories.
First, we fulfilled every brand manager’s dream by starting the ad straight with the packshot.
Then, together with the director, we designed a smartphone optical illusion—building a giant phone prop that allowed a car to drive right through it, people to run across, and looked like a real device from a specific angle.
Certified Pre-Owned
Not Just Cars — Parts Too
Car History Check
Background:
Problem:
Solution:
Brandalis
Uklon
It looked like someone had messed with our ads.
Soon after, the modified layouts were removed—the metro claimed the changes weren't approved. But that only made the story bigger. Media, influencers, and marketing communities picked it up organically. After a short pause, we came back with a new message: “The approved discount ad.”
That’s how a simple discount offer turned into a viral story spread by the city itself.
Soon after, the modified layouts were removed—the metro claimed the changes weren't approved. But that only made the story bigger. Media, influencers, and marketing communities picked it up organically. After a short pause, we came back with a new message: “The approved discount ad.”
That’s how a simple discount offer turned into a viral story spread by the city itself.
Execution:
Our 70% off first ride banners were already running across the Tashkent metro when the update hit: the discount now applied to your first three rides.
Instead of just swapping out the prints, we turned the update into a citywide story.
Overnight, together with Inkuzart—Tashkent’s own "Banksy"—we vandalized our own ads across 20 metro stations, turning 70% ×1 into 70% ×3.
Instead of just swapping out the prints, we turned the update into a citywide story.
Overnight, together with Inkuzart—Tashkent’s own "Banksy"—we vandalized our own ads across 20 metro stations, turning 70% ×1 into 70% ×3.
Uklon is a taxi service in Tashkent. In the summer, new competitors entered the market and began aggressively buying up advertising space across the city. We didn’t have the same budgets, so we had to come up with something more interesting.
Idea:
Context:
Before
After
Results
$46,500 – Estimated earned media value
8 out of 12 major media outlets covered the campaign
14 publications by influencers and marketing communities
500+ mentions
3,000,000+ reach
Hit me up
+7
705
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705
190 40 60
