Within the social communication studies the research has analysed the features, content and functional possibilities of the social advertising on the patriotic theme in Ukraine 2014–2019 on the example of the video advertising as the most popular audio-visual media text. The author pays attention to the advertising, which has the goals to show the role, importance and needs of Ukrainian army, the problems of migrants, as well as the values, which represent the idea of national unity. Their analysis has allowed the author to characterise the socially responsible communication opportunities of advertising and to offer definition of patriotic social advertising as a kind of ideologically verified advertising. The thesis notes that the specific communicative situation that developed in Ukrainian society after the events of 2013-2014, has affected the priorities of the advertising industry, which has led to a number of changes both for it and for the society. Thus, we can see the growing level of patriotism in Ukrainian society as well as the ability of advertising communication to reflect its value priorities. The thesis analyses the particularities of the video advertising as the kind of the audio-visual advertising. It perfectly meets the level of the development of the social communication system, the requirements for communication in today’s sociocommunicative environment, and is able to reflect the basic value models of the focus groups, which most part is the young people, and plays the role of a kind of the social environment. Describes the importance and possibilities of the social advertising by forming different ethical beliefs, which encouraged to patriotically oriented choices and behavior, as well as examples (2014–2019) and the social significance of Ukrainian commercial and political advertising, which keeps the patriotic elements. The history of formation and features of the modern military-patriotic advertising strategies of the USA, Germany, Israel and Belarus are also briefly analysed. The importance of patriotic social advertising in Ukraine for establishing direct and feedback communication among the state and other public institutions and its role in reorienting the Ukrainian advertising space towards interactivity and social responsibility are proved. Based on the analysis of about 80 video works (military videos are about half, and the other part deals with the support of national unity) the author systematised, characterised and identified areas of the social video advertising in Ukraine on military topics and the support of the national unity. The main factors and facts that characterize the situation with social advertising, in particular on patriotic issues and its prospects in our country are also analysed. It is noted that, despite the activity and creativity of the community, the most resonant advertising were the patriotic videos of professional agencies TABASCO, LimeLiteStudio, GoodMedia Production, which have sufficient technical and financial capabilities to implement the advertising idea. It was stated that the consolidated communication in patriotic initiatives manifested in the priorities of the social advertising products at all levels. Therefore, it is difficult to say unequivocally – the state followed the initiatives of the public or vice versa. In any case, the change in the vector of social advertising, which actually reformatted the usual perception of it, is an indicator of maturity and responsibility of the Ukrainian society, the unity of civil society, a state and scientists, mostly inspired by the events of 2013-2014 and their consequences for our country. The methods, criteria, stages of organization are offered and the results of empirical research of the role of social video advertising in the formation of patriotism are summarized, which show that the possibilities of its influence on the level of patriotization of society today are the most productive. Key words: social advertising, communication, patriotic advertising, video advertising, patriotism, military-patriotic theme, Ukrainian army, national unity.
