A comic advertisement mocking President Dmitry Medvedev went viral Wednesday, garnering almost 1 million hits within 24 hours of appearing on the Internet.
The titled, "The President's New Year's Speech — 2012," in which tour firm convincingly pastes Medvedev's face onto a studio actor's body, begins normally enough, with Medvedev wishing Russians well for the coming year.
But it quickly descends into farce as the speech's traditional Moscow backdrop is removed to reveal a sunlit beach.
For the remainder of the clip, Medvedev poses with surfers, embraces a busty lifeguard and shuffles like a penguin while continuing the serious tone of his speech.
In a nod to Medvedev's anti-beer legislation, the president turns down the offer of a cold brew as a pair of macaque monkeys mate by his side.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin also makes a cameo, peeking out of Medvedev's jacket pocket as a crab — in keeping with his nickname on the Russian Internet.
