By entering the Ad Black Sea International Festival of Creativity, entrants agree to be bound by, and comply with, these Rules. We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to interpret and apply the Rules, and to resolve any ambiguities as we see fit.

Ad Black Sea is open to all parties and organizations involved in advertising, production, media, PR, design, and the creative industries worldwide, including advertisers, media companies, and others. The festival is international: entries are accepted from participants in any country (for exceptions, please refer to Rule 10).

The entry must have aired, launched, or been released to its relevant audience for the first time between April 1, 2025 and July 15, 2026 (except for category K. Creative Effectiveness & D03 Long Term Strategy).

The entries that were submitted for Ad Black Sea 2025 in the same category are not eligible to participate.

The entry must have been created under a standard paid contract (except for in-house agencies and self promotion work) and a genuine brief from a brand. In cases of non-profit organization, the brand must have approved approved the work to air.

You have permission from the commissioning brand or brand-owning company to submit the entry.

The entry is not speculative or conceptual advertising, or a scam entry and has not been banned or withdrawn from broadcast or publication.

A duly authorized senior officer of the entrant (such as a CD, CEO, CMO, etc.) has given permission for the work to be entered.

Only one entrant may submit an entry within a category; for example, either the agency or the production company may enter a piece that both parties have worked on, but not both. A single entry or campaign may be submitted in multiple categories by different entrants.

The entrant is not based or residing in Russia or Belarus, and the entry is not related to any project or client based in Russia or Belarus.

By uploading and submitting an entry to the competition online, the entrant undertakes to pay the applicable entry fees. All entries submitted to the competition will be judged and the payment of fees will be due, unless the entries are withdrawn in writing before August 19, 2026. Entries cannot be cancelled or removed from the competition after this date.

All relevant rights and consents required to allow the Festival, and any authorized third parties, to use the entry materials as set out in these Rules - including, but not limited to, submitting the entry materials to a jury for judging and screening them in public - must be obtained before the entry is submitted.

The festival reserves the right to use Entry Materials for its promotional purposes and publish shortlisted and awarded work in its affiliated archives.

By registering an account, you acknowledge and agree that the information you provide may be used by the Festival to help develop and improve our services and for future marketing communications.