Red Apple Opens Applications for 36th Season

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The Moscow International Advertising Festival “Red Apple” has opened submissions for its 36th season, bringing together professionals from the advertising, marketing and creative industries for a global platform of exchange and project presentation.

The festival includes a competition program and a business agenda. A key event of the business program remains the Content and Creativity Day, held within the National Advertising Forum. In 2026, it will take place on 12 November and will feature discussions, case study presentations and expert sessions with representatives of international and local markets.

The season will conclude with an awards ceremony, which traditionally serves as the flagship event for the industry.

For the new season, the festival has expanded its competition structure. Changes affect the “Creative,” “Marketing” and “Media” blocks, where the number of categories has increased and evaluation criteria have been updated. Participants will be eligible for up to 9 points in the AKAR advertising market ratings, the maximum possible score.

Organizers also updated the roster of ambassadors and jury members, adding creative directors from leading agencies and winners of international festivals. In the previous season, works were evaluated by experts from Italy, the United States, Brazil, Hungary, South Korea, Singapore and Mexico, reinforcing the festival’s global standing.

In the “Creative” category, the scope has been expanded to include video, marketing, outdoor advertising, design and strategy.

New nominations have been introduced covering music content, video games, sports and cross-cultural campaigns. In the “Marketing” block, the focus has shifted toward digital solutions, data-driven approaches and new forms of audience engagement. The “Media” category has been expanded with influencer marketing and artificial intelligence applications.

The festival’s visual identity has also been updated. The new design concept is based on a reinterpretation of the red circle as a symbol of an idea evolving from inception to industry-wide influence.

Organizers say participation allows teams to assess the effectiveness of their projects, strengthen client relationships and reach international markets. The jury’s focus is increasingly shifting from form to the impact of projects on audiences, markets and the professional environment.

Applications for the 36th season will remain open until 31 August 2026. An early-bird participation period runs until 29 May. The awards ceremony and Content and Creativity Day will take place on November 12 in Moscow as part of the National Advertising Forum.