Streets speak

Background
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.

Idea
We brought street names to life. We taught Yandex Search to recognize street signs, and using AI we recreated the voices of the people those streets were named after—so they could tell their own stories.

Execution
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.

Channels
To launch the project, we rolled out a campaign that included:
– a manifesto film
– radio spots
– podcasts on streaming platforms
– outdoor advertising with portraits recreated from archival photos
– a website where people can listen to all the stories
– bus stop announcements voiced by the historical figures

Results
Yandex Search queries: +19.45%
Views: 1 643 248
Reach: 1 129 251