Even before the official unveiling, photos of the sculpture taken during installation went viral on social media and were featured in media outlets across Kazakhstan. From there, the human chain in Kazakhstan sparked a global chain reaction, turning into a worldwide media sensation.
Thousands of public pages and bloggers wrote about the sculpture, and hundreds of media outlets and TV channels covered it, including CBS, BBC, Globo—reaching audiences from the USA, Mexico, and Brazil to Spain, India, and Singapore. At present, publications about the sculpture have appeared in 105 countries worldwide, generating a global reach of more than 1 billion, while the total number of likes and comments has exceeded 80 million.
These numbers seem incredible, but a single video post alone garnered 53 million views, while another received 2,800,000 likes and 40,000 comments. All this was achieved with zero media budget: not a single cent was spent on promoting the news. This is the power of creativity. This is the first case in Kazakhstan to achieve such a global viral reach.
Moreover, the sculpture has become a powerful tool for country branding: it has raised awareness of Kazakhstan and strengthened its image. We saw tens of thousands of comments from people around the world saying, “I want to visit Kazakhstan, where such wonderful and compassionate people live!” Meanwhile, Kazakhstani citizens proudly comment, “This is our Kazakhstan! This is Almaty!!”
The sculpture has become not only a new attraction for Almaty residents and a symbol of the city but also a globally recognized destination that draws tourists and visitors to Kazakhstan.
The ForteBank sculpture case has received major recognition from the global creative community. At the end of August, ForteBank won the Grand Prix in PR at MAD STARS, one of the largest advertising festivals in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, held annually in South Korea. The case beat entries from some of the region’s most renowned brands from Japan, China, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, India and beyond.
This marks the highest-ever MAD STARS award won by Kazakhstan and Central Asia. More than 20,000 entries from 83 countries were submitted to the festival and evaluated by 350 jury members from 28 countries. In addition to the Grand Prix, the work won two Golds in Outdoor and Brand Experience & Activation, as well as three Bronze awards across other categories.
The case had already received recognition at several major international festivals. It became a Cannes Lions finalist and shortlist winner in France — the world’s largest and most prestigious advertising festival, often referred to as the Oscars of the advertising industry. It also received multiple awards at KIAF in Ukraine, Baku Flames in Azerbaijan, and White Square in Belarus, including Grand Prix, Gold, Silver and Bronze awards across various categories.
With the latest wins, the case has now earned 22 international awards of different levels, making the ForteBank sculpture the most awarded PR case in the history of Kazakhstan and Central Asia. The sculpture has also achieved extraordinary global reach. Stories about it have been published in 105 countries, while videos featuring the sculpture have generated more than 1 billion views worldwide and the number continues to grow. The sculpture even made its way onto the maps of the globally popular game PUBG, further cementing its status as a cultural and digital phenomenon. Together, this international recognition, global media coverage and unprecedented audience reach have made the ForteBank sculpture case one of the most viral and successful creative PR campaigns in the history of our country and the Central Asian region.
Client:
Anton Kim — Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Forte
Sino Alizoda — Creative Director, Forte
Aynur Zhamanova — Head of Marketing Production & Service, Forte
Malika Karadjanova — Head of PR and CSR, Forte
Marat Botin — Head of Digital Marketing, Forte
Kristina Alshevskaya — Art Director (CDO), Forte
Tomiris Meyrembayeva — Head of Content Management, Forte
Umitzhan Zholdybaeva — Senior PR Expert, Project Manager on behalf of Forte
Vladislav Ignatyev — Senior Designer
Agency: Progression CA
Chief Creative Officer DASM - Evgeny Kostylev
CEO of Creative Business DASM: Yulia Tushina
Managing Director (development phase): Alexander Kuznetsov
Managing Director (current): Natalia Pak
Creative Director: Dasha Bulakhtina
Art Director: Maria Leskina
Client Service Director: Yulia Butorina
Account Director: Zulfiya Dzhaparova
PR Director: Sofya Abdulzhanova
Sculptor: Erbosyn Meldibekov
